ECOS | Environmental Coalition on Standards

News & events

  • 16 September 2025

    Standards need to work for everyone – here’s how we do it

    By Amina Aissani
    By Lloyd Evans

    The outcome of any negotiation depends on who sits at the table. Environmental stakeholders must be included for standardisation to be effective. Smooth collaboration between companies, workers, consumers, civil society, and environmental groups is the key to delivering standards and EU policies that work for everyone and strengthen the single market. Here’s how.

  • 09 September 2025

    Harmonisation of ISO and GHG-P standards must raise the quality bar

    By Thea Lyngseth
    By Benja Faecks

    The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG-P) decision to create common emissions accounting standards has the potential to streamline and simplify procedures. However, this must be done in a way that lifts climate ambition, write Carbon Market Watch’s Benja Faecks and ECOS’s Thea Lyngseth.

  • 01 September 2025

    Act now! Don’t let the EU weaken nature protection

    In the name of "simplification", the European Commission wants to roll back vital environmental protections with an "Environmental Omnibus" – and they’re asking for your opinion. We have just ten days to speak up before it’s too late. Tell them to keep their hands off nature.

  • 06 August 2025

    Can we really talk about a “regenerative” bioeconomy?

    By Martina Forbicini

    The European Commission is revising the current EU Bioeconomy Strategy and refers to a “regenerative” bioeconomy, suggesting something sustainable - but without an agreed definition, this can lead to misleading claims, or even greenwashing, whilst detracting from ecologically sound approaches.

  • 16 July 2025

    New European standard lays the basis for more durable washing machines

    By ECOS
    By ANEC

    To manage global resources sustainably, we must make our appliances last longer and be more energy and material efficient. A new European standard has started this process for washing machines, introducing a new method for testing how durable they are before being sold. This is a first step towards unlocking the full load of environmental and consumer benefits.

  • 07 July 2025

    Defining low-carbon hydrogen: How to do it right

    By Anastasia Tsougka
    By Alison Grace

    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.

  • 24 June 2025

    Celebrating the 2025 African Day of Standardisation

    By ECOS

    Every year in June, the African Day of Standardisation takes place. In 2025, ECOS will join ARSO (the African Organisation for Standardisation) and other key stakeholders in celebrating together as part of the ARSO week and in support of the ARSO-ECOS partnership agreement on environmental aspects of standards development in Africa. What role do standards play in Africa? How do ARSO, ECOS, and other stakeholders fit in? What are this year’s priorities? Find out below.

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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