2024
A new and environmentally ambitious European standard series on the circular design of fishing gear and aquaculture equipment will help to reduce plastics, microplastics, and other waste in our oceans.
Plastics
We need sustainable products to be the norm – a long-standing priority for ECOS. To reduce wasted resources and limit the impact products have on the environment at every stage of their lifecycle – short-lived, disposable, toxic, and unrepairable items must become a thing of the past. Enter ecodesign.
Ecodesign
The EU now has a Right to Repair Directive — and ECOS was fundamental in making it happen! This is an important milestone that will help to stem the flow of one of the fastest growing waste streams: electronic waste. Not all products are covered by this law, so there is still work to do before we can talk about a truly universal right to repair in Europe, but in 2024 we took a big step towards it.
Repair
For batteries to have a low carbon footprint, they must be durable, repairable, reusable, and recyclable—with no materials used unnecessarily. But how can consumers know if that’s the case or not? For every carbon footprint claim there is a method to calculate it. This year, ECOS made sure one such method for electric vehicle batteries was revised to avoid greenwashing. Read how!
Batteries
2024 began with ECOS opening a new office in Nairobi focusing on the African region. Be it international standards or the global Plastics Treaty, we have long worked on topics with a global environmental impact, but opening an Africa office was our first official step towards a truly global presence — and what a year it has been!
Africa
Against a backdrop of political shifts, competing interests, and the stark realities of a changing climate, 2024 was challenging – but still a year when ECOS expanded its reach and grew influence in new, key sectors. Be it Green Public Procurement, soil or critical raw materials, we helped shape the agenda and pushed for ambitious solutions, building new programmes and powerful alliances along the way. Read on to learn which new areas you can get involved in with us!
Impact
Public procurement accounts for 15% of the EU’s GDP but fewer than half of public contracts are awarded with the environment in mind. One sector in particular deserves more attention when considering the role of GPP: construction.
Green Public Procurement
As the climate crisis worsens, pressure is mounting on corporations to take meaningful action – ushering in a whirlwind of dubious climate pledges. Carbon accounting standards can drive transparency, accountability, and measurable emissions reductions – or they can become a license for greenwashing by creating loopholes that allow organisations to understate their negative environmental impacts. In 2024, ECOS worked to turn the tide towards the science-based standards that are needed to achieve our global climate goals.
Carbon accounting
2023
Short-lived, disposable, toxic, and unrepairable items must become a thing of the past!
A very ambitious Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation – a ground breaking piece of legislation, will ensure sustainability is built into product design on an extensive, unprecedented scale.
Ecodesign
In 2023, ECOS worked to curb the proliferation of plastics – in different parts of the world.
Plastics
Thanks to our efforts in 2023, we could soon see an end to the wild west of green claims. No more dubious ‘planet friendly’ or ‘100% green’ slogans presented alone on a billboard.
Environmental transparency
Our strategic interventions laid the foundation for a more robust and inclusive circular economy reporting framework worldwide, steering the course towards a real transition to a circular economy.
Circular economy
Our work in 2023 has paved the way to make sustainable construction products and practices the norm.
Construction
F-gases, commonly used in household appliances like fridges, air conditioners, and heat pumps, will finally be phased out in the EU.
F-gases
The EU Battery Regulation is the first-ever product policy that covers the entire product value chain.
Batteries
Building on our longstanding efforts, ECOS helped shape a greener future for electronics in 2023.
Electronics
2022
In 2022 the EU finally launched an initiative which could make sustainable products the norm
Ecodesign
In 2022, ECOS welcomed the EU Strategy on Sustainable Textiles.
Textiles
A unique opportunity to make standards work for the environment and strive for civil society voices to be properly represented.
Standardisation
2022 brought important steps in our transition to efficient, renewable and clean heating.
Heating
2022 brought new rules to reduce the environmental impact of everyday devices such as smartphones and printers.
Ecodesign & electronics
The construction sector and the CPR must work towards sustainability.
Construction
It is essential to rapidly decarbonise the production of cement.
Cement
2021
To be climate-neutral by 2050, we need to stop selling fossil-fuel boilers as of 2025.
Ecodesign
Plastic-related laws and standards must truly work for the planet.
Plastics
Soon, two standards will determine how we charge electric cars, and change the way electricity flows in our homes.
Smart Charging
A potentially misleading ISO standard on ‘radiative forcing management’ did not see the light of day.
International Standards
In 2021, the European Commission unveiled its long-awaited proposal for a common charger for electronic devices.
Common Charger
2020
A perfect tool for environmental change
No more delays for the Ecodesign Package
Ecodesign
Making products environmentaly sustainable by design
Standards
Making cement fit for the 21st century
Standards
No such thing as environmentally friendly plastic
Plastic
2019
better products for a greener Europe
Ecodesign
for which we keep fighting on all fronts
Repair
reduce, reuse, redesign!
Plastic
breaking down barriers to climate friendly solutions
Refrigerants
bringing clarity on a very complex issue
Anti-circumvention
2018 & before
ECOS fight against flame retardants
Chemicals
all over the world thanks to ISO 14000 standards
Standards
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.
