Ambitious environmental policy, international cooperation, and momentum on standards: Highlights from 2023
It was another busy year for standards and environmental policy in 2023. At ECOS, we took on new challenges, expanded our work programme, and grew the team and network – with our growing impact set to continue into 2024. As we approach the end of the year, here is a snapshot of some key moments from the last 12 months.
International efforts towards sustainable products
This year was a great success for ecodesign
Our longstanding call for ecodesign rules to apply as broadly as possible was realised this year – the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) is now ready to push the most polluting goods off the market and incentivise manufacturers to prioritise the environment. Most products’ environmental impacts are determined in the design phase. To reduce this environmental footprint, we need to design with sustainability in mind.
This important development for ECOS follows more than four years of advocacy on the ESPR. Wide-reaching ecodesign principles will now apply across many sectors in the EU and send positive impacts across global value chains.
We are on the path to a UN Plastics Treaty
Plastics continued to dominate international discussions on the environment as we saw two Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meetings take place for the UN Plastics Treaty in 2023. ECOS observed the meetings in Paris and Nairobi, and though the pace of progress is challenging, all options to reduce plastic pollution are still on the table ahead of the next meeting in Ottawa, in April 2024. We will keep following the negotiations closely as an Observer organisation to the United Nations Environment Programme and its governing body – the UN Environment Assembly!
E-waste must be eliminated – let’s repair, reuse, and recycle!
ECOS co-shaped a new international IEC standard for the sustainable management of e-waste this year, one that will set requirements to achieve the best environmental outcome by focusing on the recovery of products, components, and materials. We also worked closely with our partners the Right to Repair Europe Coalition, supporting the European Parliament to maintain its strong position on the upcoming EU Right to Repair Initiative, which could empower consumers to choose repair and reduce waste. This work will continue in 2024.
Getting green claims right: How to eliminate greenwashing
In 2023, ECOS also pushed for accurate and verifiable green claims. Potentially misleading and confusing terms like ‘net zero’, ‘eco-friendly’, ‘green’, and ‘climate neutral’ are increasingly found on products. For consumers to be able to trust these claims, they must use a methodology that prioritises the environment – and ECOS is working to make it happen.
From the proposed EU Green Claims Directive in March and the provisional EU Empowering Consumers Directive in October to carbon neutrality labels – we have been pushing for robust environmental claims every step of the way and will continue to do so in 2024.
In a new approach against greenwashing, we also teamed up with ClientEarth to support BEUC’s complaint to the European consumer authorities against major bottled water manufacturers for their potentially misleading claims of ‘100% recycled’ and ‘100% recyclable’.
Nature protection & restoration: Tackling nature and biodiversity loss is a key part of the green transition
Nature and ecosystems sustain us, but they are under threat and need to be protected. A new work area for ECOS emerged in 2023, as we began to focus on nature protection and restoration, and biodiversity, born out of our existing work on the bioeconomy and timber used in construction. ECOS joined the international standardisation technical committee ISO/TC 190 Soil Quality, where we will help to develop standards that will define soil functions and ecosystem services.
Clean energy and decarbonisation
Decarbonising heating is unavoidable – and essential
With important discussions on ecodesign rules for space and water heaters taking place throughout 2023, and continuing in 2024, ECOS is fighting to raise the energy efficiency limits of new stand-alone fossil fuel boilers. To meet the EU’s net zero commitments, we need to phase out fossil fuels from home heating – but time is running out.
More than 80% of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling – with 75% of that coming from fossil fuels. Affordable, pollutant-free, and reliable solutions, such as heat pumps, are available and can be tailored to different types of homes.
The days of harmful F-gases are numbered
This year we also saw a big success for ECOS with the new EU F-gas Regulation, which spells the beginning of the end for climate-damaging fluorinated gases. F-gases – not commonly known but commonly used in household appliances like fridges, air conditioners, and heat pumps – are responsible for 2.5% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions – but fortunately not for much longer.
Making low-carbon cement and concrete the norm
This year we launched the Alliance for Low-Carbon Cement and Concrete – representing progressive businesses and innovators across the supply chain, growing from 12 members to 22 in its first year! Cement production accounts for 8% of global CO2 emissions – safe, scalable, and low-carbon solutions exist, but recipe-based standards prevent them entering the market. Our Alliance is poised to change the status quo, calling for the introduction of performance-based standards for cement and concrete.
Growing network and international cooperation with standardisers
As well as grow our team, we also continued to expand and engage our network in 2023. This year we welcomed two new members: CircE from Malta and our first member from Africa – ACDESPE from Cameroon. Seven of our members were more closely engaged in standardisation processes this year, thanks to our support. We also strengthened our cooperation with international standardisers – we became a sector member of the ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Sector and joined ISO’s Committee on Consumer Policy, as well as a liaison organisation on ISO/TC 190 Soil Quality.
What’s in store for 2024
Next year we will continue to push for ambitious policies that will deliver a just, green transition and as our standardisation work expands into new areas, we are ready to make an even bigger impact in 2024. We also have many exciting international developments already in the pipeline as we shape our strategy for the coming years. Importantly next year will see European Parliament elections, and a new European Commission, which will set the scene for environmental policy in Europe for the next five years.
In 2024, we look forward to working with our members, partners, standardisers, and policy-makers old and new to implement strong environmental principles across products, sectors, and borders.
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