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.
Standards can significantly influence how laws are applied in practice – and environmental legislation is no different. This month, we bring you a crystal-clear example: plastics. In addition, Bond Beter Leefmilieu's Angelos Koutsis explains how his organisation led 8 of the biggest Flemish cities to sign a manifesto for fossil-free home heating.
In this issue, find insightful stories analysing two EU policies with an important impact on the environment: the EU climate taxonomy, and the Battery Regulation proposal. In addition, read our report: an-depth analysis of how the EU should implement ecodesign policies in textiles to boost the transition towards a circular economic model for fashion.
ECOS has just rebranded, meet the new us! In this issue, discover the new ECOS, with a new name behind the acronym. Learn about the two smart charging standards that could change our daily lives, and find out more about the missing EU strategy on sustainable buildings.
On 1 March, we welcome a new set of energy labels for four product groups: washing machines, dishwashers, fridges and TVs & monitors. Nonetheless, we ask the EU to ramp up ambition to unlock game-changing savings. In this newsletter, find also links to our Annual Work Programme 2021 Annual Review 2021... and much more!
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.