ECOS | Environmental Coalition on Standards

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Clean energy

Renewable, efficient, and resilient energy supply

We need energy to power our lives, but it does not have to come at a high environmental cost. To live within our planet’s boundaries, we must transition to renewables instead of continuing to rely on destructive fossil fuels. Globally, 80% of energy used – including for electricity, heating, transport, and manufacturing – still comes from fossil fuels, damaging our planet, environment, air quality, and health. With so many renewable energy solutions available, fossil fuels must become a thing of the past – today. But which solutions should we use – and for what? ECOS helps to answer those questions.

What we are working on

  • ECOS works towards the phase-out of fossil fuels from our energy systems and we push for flexible electricity grids that can cope with rapid and increased electrification.
  • We call for future-proof electric devices, such as heat pumps, battery storage, inverters, and electric vehicle chargers, that facilitate the integration of more renewable energy.
  • ECOS ensures the sustainable integration of electric vehicles into the electricity grid by advocating smart, interoperable, and long-lasting EV charging infrastructure.
  • We advocate clean, durable, repairable, and recyclable PV (photovoltaic) modules and inverters for solar panels that are sustainable throughout their lifetimes and supply chains.
  • ECOS calls for hydrogen and other so-called ‘renewable’ fuels to be produced using renewable electricity and for different types of hydrogen to be defined and certified. The small amount of renewable hydrogen available should only be used in hard-to-abate industries.
  • We push for policies and standards that ensure critical raw material supply chains are based on ambitious environmental and social safeguards, promoting sufficiency and resource efficiency.
Who we work with

Alliances and campaigns

Related news

  • Defining low-carbon hydrogen: How to do it right

    The European Commission is about to set new rules on how to calculate greenhouse gas emissions from hydrogen production, defining what can be classified as ‘low-carbon’. What methods and definitions are the most accurate, and how can they be integrated into EU law? Find out in our blog.

  • From arithmetic to ambition: How to use hydrogen emissions data to reduce its environmental impact

    With hydrogen high on the political agenda, hydrogen producers are under pressure to measure and report on their environmental impacts. How can they do so effectively? And more importantly: how can they use this knowledge to reduce emissions? Calculators have limits — ambition must be added separately for the numbers to have any use.

  • Resourceful thinking: Why we need a better approach to critical raw materials

    Lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earths – these minerals are the lifeblood of modern industries. However, surging demand is aggravating their long-standing and often overlooked environmental and social costs. International standards can help to manage critical raw materials (CRMs) responsibly, but only if they prioritise environmental protection and the rights of affected communities. Read on to find out more – and to learn how you can help tackle the impacts of CRMs through standardisation.

Contact person
Luka De Bruyckere
Senior Programme Manager luka.debruyckere@ecostandard.org
Anastasia Tsougka
Programme Manager anastasia.tsougka@ecostandard.org

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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