Proposal for a national asbestos strategy presented at Parliament 

In this article: 

Environtec and other industry leaders in asbestos management unveiled a proposal for a national asbestos strategy at Parliament on 3 April 2025. 

Taking place during Global Asbestos Awareness Week, there was no better time to present a forward-thinking, actionable strategy to industry stakeholders, including Asbestos Removal Contractors Association (ARCA), Asbestos Testing and Consultancy Association (ATaC), trade unions, victim support groups and media. 

Asbestos Information CIC 

Environtec and its competitors up and down the country are united under a community-interest company (CIC) called Asbestos Information CIC. Our aim is to increase awareness of the public health implications of asbestos, to fund asbestos research, and to expand a national database which will help the nation better monitor and manage the everyday threat of asbestos. 

A national asbestos strategy: The proposal 

The proposal put forward by Asbestos Information CIC focuses on solutions to improve monitoring and transparency, and a strategy to get a detailed picture of the highest-risk spaces which will inform an asbestos removal strategy.  

Measures outlined in the proposal includes: 

• The introduction of an Asbestos Information Certificate (AIC). This would enable full transparency on a building’s asbestos risk, enabling duty holders to label buildings they’re responsible for, while allowing workers or the wider public to be aware of any buildings with asbestos present (in the same way an Energy Performance Certificate is publicly available). The Certificate would also form the basis of a national database. 
   

• A framework for prioritising asbestos removal. An interactive map demonstrating buildings with the highest risk Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) can inform which spaces will be managed first, such as schools and hospitals. 
   

• A plan to integrate asbestos management into wider infrastructure maintenance, and the Net Zero initiative. For example; while retrofit work is planned to make a public property more energy efficient, any asbestos removal work can be considered and carried out before the retrofit. 

Why is the need for a national, more centrally-managed approach to asbestos management so important? 

Even though asbestos has been banned from the UK since 1999, the UK has some of the highest death rates caused by mesothelioma—over 5,000 a year. The message is clear; we must do more. 

And according to the 7 million lines of data Asbestos Information CIC has gathered, we need to take action urgently; 26% of asbestos items identified in approximately 400,000 properties have been categorised as the highest-risk asbestos. The National Strategy Report’s author concluded that some of the most dangerous ACMs are the products with the most damage, and that current asbestos management strategies are not as robust and well-monitored as they need to be. 

Managing the nation’s asbestos: A five-point plan 

How can asbestos be better managed in the UK? What needs to be done first? The proposal identifies five points that will provide a framework for building a national database and creating a national strategy to managing asbestos: 

1. Identify properties at risk 

2. Rationalise collected data, structure and terminology 

3. Present data via a new Asbestos Information Certificate (AIC) 

4. Implement the AIC 

5. Plan for the future with a removal strategy 

What are the next steps? 

As an article on the Report in the Journal for Asbestos Management Professionals concludes, the “parliamentary launch represented a vital step toward addressing this ongoing public health issue through collaborative, data-driven solutions” and that “we need Government to match this drive from industry, to take the foundations of this report and support it.” 

Environtec are proud to be part of Asbestos Information CIC, providing informed, innovative solutions to the nation’s asbestos problem, based on years of our collective expertise. Our in-depth knowledge must be supported by the government if we are to manage the public health problem that asbestos presents in 2025 and beyond. 

To read the full national strategy report, click here. 

To read more about the proposal’s launch at Parliament, read this article by the Journal for Asbestos Management Professionals. 

 
Would you like to get involved? 

Asbestos Information CIC are looking to partner with other UKAS-accredited inspection bodies who are happy to share site information in order to grow a national database. Read more about this initiative