With record-breaking heatwaves hitting Europe this month, we focus on the urgent need to phase out fossil fuels and limit climate change, zooming in on the defossiliation of plastics and petrochemical products. From production to the fossil-heavy supply chains behind them, petrochemicals are associated with around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. We also share insights on the importance of standards in biodiversity monitoring, and updates from our latest ECOS Africa work to promote sustainable ICT products and reduce the staggering volume of e-waste. All this and more from across the ECOS network.
This year we celebrate 25 years of ECOS. For a quarter of a century, our international network of members, experts, and partners has been the environmental voice in standards – hear from them in a new series of testimonials as we celebrate this milestone. We look forward to welcoming ECOS members to our network days and AGM next week to further celebrate our 25th anniversary. We also have an update from the ECOS Africa project on green digitalisation – registration is now open for two webinars, where we will discuss the environmental impact of ICT products and the uptake of sustainable alternatives.
This month we hosted a webinar to discuss the proposed EU Product Act and we co-hosted a session on the Industrial Accelerator Act – missed it? Watch back the recordings in this edition of our newsletter. We also announced some new vacancies in the ECOS team this month – and shared a new interview with our latest member - we invite you to join the ECOS network! All this and more in this edition of the ECOS newsletter.
This month we unpack the EU’s packaging regulations, take a look at the potential of the EU Digital Product Passport, and assess how the Public Procurement Directives could decarbonise heavy industry. We also published our annual report for 2025, detail a new project from our ECOS Africa office, and share plenty of upcoming events and opportunities to meet with the ECOS team, as well the usual updates from our international network of members and partners.
This month, we explain the importance and value of civil society representation in European standardisation, helping to build stronger standards. We also have an update from our ECOS Africa office, as we continue to work with national partners on standards and a Green Public Procurement (GPP) approach to low-carbon construction, and in our latest blog we discuss our valuable collaboration with partners in Kenya to inform the EU’s end of waste criteria.
Standards can have a great impact on our societies and our environment; therefore including civil society organisations with environmental expertise throughout the standards-making process can help to build stronger standards that work for society. ECOS is turning 25 this year! Learn about our priorities in our Work Programme for 2026 and we also take a look back at our successes from last year.
In our final newsletter of the year we share our expert insight on the European Standardisation Regulation and published a new factsheet on Environmental Attribute Certificates for steel (and how to ensure the right calculation methods are used). This month we also wrote about the benefits of energy labelling and had an interview with the European Commission’s DG ENV discussing how public procurement can accelerate a sustainable and competitive construction sector. Plus all the usual updates from our international network, including a new vacancy and calls for experts.
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