Making sustainable products the norm, the right to repair, truly sustainable buildings… 2022 could bring about substantial progress in our transition to environmental sustainability. What to expect in the upcoming months? Read on!
The EU Standardisation Strategy, unveiled on 2 February, seeks to solve some of the most pressing problems standard-making is facing, including delays in the approval of new standards, as well as a need for more inclusiveness for societal stakeholders. Will it truly help establish Europe as a global standard-setter? Read to find out. Also in this issue: ECOS Work Programme 2022, and a new infographic on How standards can unleash the power of harmonised containers and help curb plastic pollution.
Christmas is almost upon us, but 2021 is not quite over yet. The European Commission has just launched new initiatives on buildings efficiency and gas market rules – and they are weaker than we’d hoped. But not everything is bad news - our consumption patterns might actually become ‘greener’ in the coming years. In 2022, the European Commission will announce its Sustainable Products Initiative (SPI), which could make products sustainable by design and boost reuse. Here at ECOS, we have imagined a future of sustainable products. Step into the future with us!
What's the battery health of this car? In a world where electric cars become commonplace, this will be the first question to ask when buying a second-hand car. However, without reliable and comparable indicators, getting a reliable answer on the 'state of health' of used batteries will be difficult. A crucial milestone on the road to European standards for sustainable batteries has been achieved: CEN and CENELEC accepted the European Commission's standardisation request for new definitions and technical specifications - one small step towards decarbonised mobility.
The Sustainable Products Initiative disappeared from the Commission’s planned agenda for 14 December. Instead, this crucial initiative will be pushed to 2022 - this is not a surprise. Our recent report shows that the Commission has been actively defunding ecodesign and energy labelling, two incredibly successful policies which lie at the heart of the SPI. Delays in ecodesign and energy labelling updates are estimated to account for a total 10 million tonnes (CO2eq) of additional emissions by 2030 – as Coolproducts calculations show. Au revoir to SPI in 2021.
September will be the moment of truth for the future in heating. At the end of this month, EU member states will gather to discuss the future of boilers on 27 and 28 September, during a consultation forum on ecodesign and energy labelling regulations for water and space heaters. On the table, a Commission proposal that could offer a golden ticket for fossil-fuel boilers, keeping them in our homes well beyond 2050. We can’t let that happen – there is no room for fossil-fuel heating in a net-zero world.
ECOS is officially 20 – and we are in better shape than ever! To mark our anniversary, we got into a time machine… and travelled both to the past and the future. First, we revisited some of our milestones and success stories in an interactive timeline. Looking ahead, we envisioned an international standardisation system that works for the environment and wondered how sustainable products could become the norm if policymakers gave them a true push today.
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.