ECOS | Environmental Coalition on Standards

Featured publication

How data centre expansion risks derailing climate goals

Report by ECOS with Open Future. How data centre expansion risks derailing climate goals and how to fix it. An analysis of the environmental impacts of data centres, the solutions to this, and possible EU policy responses.

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  • 16 September 2025

    How data centre expansion risks derailing climate goals

    Report by ECOS with Open Future. How data centre expansion risks derailing climate goals and how to fix it. An analysis of the environmental impacts of data centres, the solutions to this, and possible EU policy responses.

    Continue reading
  • 12 August 2025

    Reusing timber in construction

    In our latest infographic, we outline the steps required to safely reuse structural timber in renovation and construction. Using wood for longer, following the cascading principle, helps to avoid waste and reduce carbon emissions.

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  • 08 August 2025

    Laying the foundations to safely reuse timber in Europe

    This paper explores opportunities for policies and standards to maximise timber reuse and recycling in structural buildings. We make recommendations on different regulations and standards, which can either support or create unwanted barriers to achieving this goal.

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  • 24 July 2025

    Cemented in reality

    Companies have a key role in tackling climate change by reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Ensuring credible and accurate Chain of Custody models in Environmental Attribute Certificates is key to this.

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  • 17 June 2025

    Shaping the future of sustainable construction

    In this briefing, we review recent and upcoming developments in EU policy and standards that are relevant to forestry, timber, and construction and explore the untapped potential of public procurement to drive demand for sustainable construction materials.

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  • 08 May 2025

    Scrutinising scientific standards: Sustainability criteria for plastics recycling technologies

    This report provides a blueprint for assessing the life-cycle environmental footprints of physical and chemical plastic recycling technologies, as well as a technical critique of a JRC study that uses Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to compare environmental impacts of plastic recycling technologies. Based on this critique, recommendations are provided for decision makers as to the value of the JRC study’s findings.

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  • 26 March 2025

    Annual Report 2024

    Against a backdrop of political shifts, competing interests, and the stark realities of a changing climate, 2024 was challenging in many ways – but still a year full of important milestones and steps forward for ambitious environmental protection.

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  • 20 March 2025

    How EU Member States can slash waste when implementing new packaging rules

    National and local governments could slash record levels of packaging waste if they follow this roadmap. By the Rethink Plastic alliance with Break Free From Plastic, Zero Waste Europe, ClientEarth Europe, Environmental Coalition on Standards, Fair Resource Foundation, and the European Environmental Bureau.

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  • 16 September 2025

    Hatchet Job on the Forest Monitoring Law – What Next?

    Drafted by NGOs and scientists, this briefing analyses EU Forest Monitoring Law (FML) negotiations, where both the Council and Parliament proposed drastically weakening the European Commission’s proposal for science-based monitoring. To rescue the FML, MEPs need to significantly improve the Parliament’s text, showing that they understand the centrality of accurate scientific information to the sustainable management of forests.

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  • 10 September 2025

    Simplification must be about better implementation, not deregulation

    We support the principle of making EU legislation easier to implement - but we express serious concerns that the omnibus methodology risks deregulation by stealth. Read more in our response to the European Commission’s call for evidence on the “Environmental Omnibus” simplification initiative.

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  • 26 August 2025

    A New Legislative Framework fit for circular economy and the digital transition

    The revision of the New legislative Framework underpins mandatory product requirements through harmonised standards. It should aim at improving the overall EU product framework, adapting it to the current environmental and market challenges of new products and businesses, thereby supporting the implementation of environmental legislation.

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  • 19 August 2025

    Aligning product legislation with the digital age

    ECOS has reviewed the European Commission’s proposal for a directive and a regulation as regards the digitalisation and alignment of common specifications. In our feedback we outline our position on the specific provisions related to the Common Specification.

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  • 28 July 2025

    How standards can support a sustainable circular economy

    The EU needs to overhaul e-waste rules so that they effectively recover valuable resources from electronic equipment, as well as prevent, mitigate, and reverse the environmental harm caused by resource consumption and electronic waste. European standards, once revised and made legally binding, can offer detailed guidance for meeting minimum requirements for sustainable, circular e-waste recovery

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  • 25 July 2025

    Durability of reusable packaging

    A lack of legal guidelines and harmonised standards for reusable packaging has created a fragmented landscape. Systems are not interoperable and businesses are left grappling with uncertainty and struggling to compete with single-use alternatives. Minimum durability requirements and European harmonised standards for testing, measurements, and calculations would ensure that the EU's new packaging rules are robust, effective, and truly transformative.

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  • 18 July 2025

    European standards: Inclusive, fit for purpose, and environmentally ambitious

    In our response to the call for evidence on the revision of the EU's Standardisation Regulation, ECOS provides valuable insight on the main challenges within the European Standardisation System, both directly experienced as a stakeholder and those identified in the EC’s evaluation report. We also propose improvements to address these challenges.

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  • 10 July 2025

    Creating lead markets for the construction sector through effective public procurement

    Buy Better to Build Better welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback and targeted evidence over the importance of effectively designing the upcoming Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act.

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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.

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