ECOS | Environmental Coalition on Standards

Publications

Featured publication

Why does the EU Taxonomy miss the mark on construction?

The EU Taxonomy Regulation defines environmentally sustainable activities and introduces key performance indicators (KPIs) for buildings and construction to make a ‘substantial contribution’ to mitigate climate change. These KPIs however do not incentivise low-impact construction materials and therefore fail to cover a significant proportion of greenhouse gas emissions in the construction sector.

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  • 11 March 2024

    Position paper – Towards efficient and long-lasting EV chargers

    Given the large amount of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations that will be built in the coming years, the European Commission should implement measures to reduce their environmental impact as soon (and as much!) as possible. Measures should tackle the energy and material use of EV chargers and ensure the adoption of future proof smart EV charging standards. Find out about how this can be done in our position paper.

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  • 28 February 2024

    Position paper | Towards a robust EU Forest Monitoring Law that works for forests and forest managers

    EU forests are in a poor ecological state and face increasing risks from climate-related hazards and unsustainable forestry practices. The EU Forest Monitoring Law can help fill gaps in the current frameworks and help to assess and prevent transnational forest risks and losses through data exchange and harmonised reporting.

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  • 22 February 2024

    Moving to performance-based cement and concrete standards in Europe – an international perspective

    Europe is in urgent need of performance-based cement and concrete standards. The ongoing CPR acquis process on cement offers a unique opportunity to tackle this challenge head on and drive decarbonisation in one of the most carbon-intensive industries. We look at the key lessons from countries outside of Europe that have already made this transition.

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  • 15 February 2024

    Why does the EU Taxonomy miss the mark on construction?

    The EU Taxonomy Regulation defines environmentally sustainable activities and introduces key performance indicators (KPIs) for buildings and construction to make a ‘substantial contribution’ to mitigate climate change. These KPIs however do not incentivise low-impact construction materials and therefore fail to cover a significant proportion of greenhouse gas emissions in the construction sector.

    Continue reading
  • 14 February 2024

    Recommendations for a standardisation request on packaging and packaging waste

    Ahead of the upcoming standardisation request to the European Committee for Standardisation on packaging and packaging waste, we outline the need to overhaul and develop packaging standards that are harmonised with the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) requirements.

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  • 31 January 2024

    White paper – Sustainable resource management in the EU

    There is a crucial gap in current EU law. Resource overconsumption is not being addressed and is predicted to continue to rise, underscoring the need for a new, binding EU Directive on Sustainable Resource Management, with science based and overarching reduction targets for resource use.

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  • 12 January 2024

    Position paper – EU Detergents Regulation revision

    As an everyday consumer and industrial product, detergents have a significant impact on the environment via water pollution and contain substances that have an impact on human health. The ongoing update to the EU Detergent Regulation offers an important opportunity to improve the requirements on detergents in the European market and minimise the effects on human health and the environment.

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  • 03 January 2024

    Work Programme 2024

    "Without nature, we have nothing. Without nature, we are nothing." - Read our Work Programme for 2024!

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  • 13 March 2023

    Annual Report 2022

    2022 saw a big shift for ECOS, with our work leading to major impacts on the development of policies, laws and standards to require more and more sustainable products. But it was also the fifth warmest year on record, with climatic extremes experienced across the globe.

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  • 18 January 2023

    Work Programme 2023

    In 2023, our work will be guided by two key principles: sufficiency and impact.

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  • 16 March 2022

    ECOS Annual Review 2021

    2021 was an important year for ECOS – we turned 20! We took this opportunity to rebrand, with important changes to our statutes, name and visual identity, which now all reflect our international nature and the high level of expertise that we stand for. The year saw a focus on solutions for a number of important environmental challenges, both from a policy and standardisation point of view, accompanied by several successful reports, events and initiatives.

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  • 18 January 2022

    Work Programme 2022

    2022 has the potential to be a critical year for environmental policy, with a focus on international climate action, negotiations for a global treaty on plastics, making sustainable products the norm, and leveraging environmental policy as a key tool of the economic stimulus following the COVID-19 pandemic.

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  • 23 February 2021

    Annual Review 2020

    2020 was a year like no other. With governments concentrating on weathering the storm, it was crucial for the environmental organisations to remind policymakers and standardisers that climate crisis was not going away. Through the turmoil, we kept advocating for a green recovery with ambitious policies and robust standards at the heart of any economic stimulus following the COVID-19 pandemic.

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  • 04 February 2021

    Work Programme 2021

    2021 will see our 20th anniversary. For two decades, ECOS has been breaking down the barriers between standardisation work, environmental policy and legislation, and environmental NGOs. But 2021 will be more than just a celebration. It will be a pivotal year to address environmental emergencies.

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ECOS is co-funded by the European Commission and EFTA Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EISMEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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