Eco-innovation for a Sustainable Future

Eco-innovation in the spotlight

• Policy Matters

  An adaptable tool for assessing building sustainability

  Construction companies have a growing body of environmentally sustainable building codes and standards to choose from. The best-known international standards are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which was developed in the United States but is used globally, and BREEAM, the United Kingdom's Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method.

  

• Policy Matters

  Understanding the system-wide impact of eco-innovations  

  Because it is difficult to gain an overall view of the positive or negative impacts of environmental innovations on both the environment and the economy, the <strong>EMInInn research project</strong> (<i>Environmental macro indicators of innovation</i>) is aiming to put new indicators at the disposal of European policymakers.

  

• Experts interviews

  Eco-innovation as a solution for the Mediterranean countries  

  The European Union's Mediterranean countries are generally perceived to be lagging behind northern Europe in economic and innovation terms. The <strong>MEDOSSIC</strong> project (<i>Mediterranean organisation structure and strengthening of innovation capacities for sustainable development</i>) looked at the Med region's eco-innovation infrastructure to see if improvements could be made.

  

• Good practices

  Portal aims to help the seeds of innovation to grow

  An online portal is aiming to promote the results of European environmental research and development by providing details of a range of promising eco-innovations, and rating their “technology readiness”.

  

• Policy Matters

  'New economy' map seeks to encourage sustainability

  Developers of projects that contribute to the evolution of the green “new economy” can showcase their initiatives on an interactive online map established by the Cambridge, Massachusetts based New Economics Institute (NEI), and United Kingdom think tank New Economics Foundation (NEF).

  

• Business & Funding

  Foundation promotes circular economy around the world

  A foundation established by former round-the-world yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur is aiming to deepen the understanding of major corporations about the concept of the circular economy, and thereby to change their behaviour.