Last month was a milestone for the future of fossil fuel boilers in Europe. At the Ecodesign Consultation Forum held at the end of April, experts from EU Member States and other stakeholders, including ECOS, shared their positions on the future of ecodesign and energy labelling regulations for space and water heaters. We have been calling on the Forum to raise the energy efficiency threshold of heating appliances to 115%. This would introduce a de facto ban on the sale of new ‘stand-alone’ fossil fuel boilers, which would no longer meet energy efficiency requirements. We still have a chance to shape the results of this legislation. Want to find out how? Read on!
Last week, the EU presented its new proposal for a Green Claims Directive. Sadly, without harmonised methodologies at the EU level, the new Directive will provide little clarity to consumers and business, and will only complicate the job of market surveillance authorities. It is now up to the European Parliament and the Council to improve the proposal so that it is of value to consumers, companies producing sustainable products, and the environment. Want to learn more about green claims? Read on!
2023 is off to a warm start. The rising global temperatures leave us with no time to lose. Solutions exist and are attainable – the time to take bold action is now. Moving away from fossil fuels, greening industrial processes, making sustainable products the norm, and efficiently guiding consumers towards better alternatives… Achieving this will set us on the path to climate neutrality, and towards a healthy and clean environment. 2023 will see momentum for ambitious political decisions, providing a window of opportunity to avoid a triple planetary crisis: climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss. What to look out for this year? Read on!
We are overconsuming. We are overproducing. Unless we close the loop and create a real circular economy, our planet won’t keep up. This is the harsh reality. In advancing towards a circular economy, everyday items must become longer-lasting, as well as easier to repair and recycle. A couple of weeks ago, the European Commission took a step in that direction with the second part of its Circular Economy Package. But will it really help? Find out more below! Let's put sustainability on the wishlist this holiday season. Happy holidays from all of us at ECOS!
The building industry is a massive consumer of global resources and a major contributor to climate change. Do we have the right tools to build truly green? Whether using sustainable building materials or pushing policy-makers to develop improved ‘Zero-Emissions Buildings’ criteria… It is time to make the construction sector sustainable, resilient and aligned with global climate neutrality goals.
Today is World Standards Day! In this issue, we take a deep dive into how technical specifications in standards can make or break the global transition towards sustainability. Cement, textiles, energy systems… Read on to explore where robust standards can make a difference for the planet.
Soaring electricity prices are driving up cement production costs. This is putting pressure on producers, who are calling for urgent public aid and threatening plant closures. Problems in the cement industry are not surprising. Cement production needs large amounts of energy. The billions of tonnes of cement we make every year are behind 8% of global CO2 emissions. Our main story this month explores how the 200-year-old recipe for cement can be adjusted to slash energy use.
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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.