The Environment Agency has launched a consultation on proposed amendments to several standard rules sets maintained under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
The consultation runs from 09:00 on Thursday 23 October to 23:59 on Thursday 18 December 2025, and we are seeking your views on:
- whether the proposed conditions adequately incorporate Decarbonisation Readiness (DR) requirements applicable to standard-rules permit holders
- whether the proposed conditions for anaerobic digestion (AD) standard-rules sets adequately enable the capture, upgrade, and storage of carbon dioxide
- the proposed withdrawal of SR2009 No 4: Combustion of biogas in engines at a sewage treatment works
These updates form part of a wider programme to implement DR requirements, following new obligations set out by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) in the Environmental Permitting (Electricity Generating Stations) (Amendment) Regulations 2025. From 28 February 2026, operators applying for permits for certain new or substantially refurbished electricity-generating combustion power plant will be required to include and maintain a DR report throughout the lifetime of the plant.
Separately, we are proposing new standard-rules conditions to support carbon-capture activity at AD facilities and to withdraw SR2009 No 4, as part of our ongoing work to ensure standard-rules sets remain up to date and fit for purpose.
This consultation is the first in a series of upcoming Decarbonisation Readiness publications due to launch in November, which will also include:
- publication of the final DR guidance,
- the consultation response to our previous DR consultation, and
- a separate consultation on charges for Decarbonisation Readiness
The Standard rules consultation is available on Citizen Space at https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/environment-and-business/changes-to-standard-rules-for-carbon-capture/ Your feedback will help us refine and improve the standard-rules before they are finalised. We would appreciate it if you could forward this consultation link to any relevant contacts within your networks. If you have any queries about the consultation, please direct them to our shared mailbox: @decarbonisationreadiness@environment-agency.gov.uk
