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‘Carbon neutral’, ‘CO2 neutral’, ‘climate friendly’, ‘climate neutral’… As potentially misleading marketing messages spread like wildfire, policymakers and standardisers are trying to introduce rules that avoid massive greenwashing. In Europe, the Commission is launching new regulations; at the global level, ISO is developing a new standard on carbon neutrality. Will these initiatives be fit to solve the problem? Mélissa Zill, ECOS programme manager, explains why these plans might in fact end up missing the mark.
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Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) is used in electricity grids as an insulating gas in high- and medium-voltage switchgear. It is the world’s most potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential (GWP) 25,200 times greater than CO2 over a 100-year period. Eight NGOs call on the European Union to introduce an early phase-out of SF6 as part of the revision of the F-Gas Regulation.
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The proposal to include nuclear energy and fossil gas in the EU Green Taxonomy caused uproar across Europe earlier this year. Why? Because this proposal affirms that nuclear energy and fossil gas should be labelled as sustainable investments, when in reality they are not ‘green’ and should not be labelled as such.
ECOS co-signs a pledge on chemical recycling with Zero Waste Europe and Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), calling for circular economy principles for plastic. We encourage civil society and recycling industry organisations to endorse these principles.
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For European Maritime Day 2022, ECOS highlights that marine plastic litter should first and foremost be tackled at the source. Plastic fishing gear must become more circular and have a much lower environmental impact.
The European Commission has proposed a 13% target for energy efficiency by 2030, up from the previous 9%. ECOS welcomes the announcement
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A new version of an IEC safety standard now enables manufacturers to use natural, climate-friendly refrigerants in room air conditioners. This change in the standard is a milestone on the journey to end the use of climate-detrimental F-gases in household heat pumps, air conditioners and dehumidifiers.
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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.