Industrial regulation

Industrial regulation focuses on controlling the impacts of industry on the environment. It is largely associated the control of polluting emissions and discharges, and achieved primarily through a licencing system. Pollution control is often understood as the core of environmental law. Many of the first environmental laws focused on regulating discharges into air and water and onto land. The Clean Air Act 1956, for instance, was a response to smog engulfing cities from industrial and coal emissions. Early pollution control regimes tended to focus on one type of pollution: water pollution, air pollution, etc. Legislation in the last few decades has shifted towards more integrated approaches.