Chemical manufacturing resource efficiency

Cutting your carbon emissions can help you to comply with legislation as well as reducing your costs and your impact on the environment.

Check if you need a permit or registration

If your business is energy-intensive, for example if you operate a boiler or electricity generator, you must check if you need a greenhouse gas emissions permit and need to trade emissions.

Chemical manufacturing facilities covered by emissions trading legislation include carrying out combustion activities with a total rated thermal input exceeding 20 megawatts.

Combustion activities include:

• using electricity generators
• using boilers
• using combined heat and power
• incinerating waste (other than hazardous or municipal waste) where the primary purpose is to produce energy

Reduce your climate change levy (CCL) bill

The CCL is a tax on using non-renewable energy. If the CCL applies to your business, you will already be paying it as part of your energy bill.

Reduce your bill by using renewable energy and improving your energy efficiency. You may be able to claim a discount from the CCL if you have a climate change agreement.

Improve your energy efficiency

You can save money and help the environment by taking steps to reduce your energy use - see how to save money by using energy more efficiently.

You can get recognition for measuring and reducing your carbon emissions through the Carbon Trust Standard certification scheme.

Use renewable energy

Reduce your carbon emissions by using energy from renewable sources.

Buy your energy using:

• green tariffs where the provider buys the same amount of energy you use from a renewable source such as a wind farm
• green funds where the provider invests money into researching or setting up renewable energy projects

Find out if you could participate in any local community renewable energy schemes.

Generate your own electricity using wind, solar or other renewable energy sources - see renewable energy regeneration for chemical manufacturing.