EMAS Newsletter - Issue 01 / February 2012
Dear EMAS Community,
Welcome to the first issue of our new EMAS newsletter! We decided to change the format of the newsletter in order to provide you with fresh information on the latest developments and exciting events around EMAS more frequently. Once every two months the newsletter will give you insight into the world of the premium environmental management instrument and sustainable production.
With this new format we would also like to stimulate dialogue in our EMAS social network forums. We will post newsletter articles on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as well. Please join us and use the social networks to inform yourself, connect, interact and share your thoughts with us and with others. We also welcome your feedback, questions, or suggestions for future newsletter topics.
Enjoy the reading!
Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for the Environment
and the EMAS Team of the Sustainable Production & Consumption Unit, European Commission, DG Environment
So many good reasons for EMAS! New publication in Germany
An English version of the "7 Good Reasons for EMAS" brochure is now available. It was prepared by the Office of the German EMAS Advisory Board (Umweltgutachterausschuss, UGA), and is based on the German publication "7 gute Gründe für ein Umweltmanagement nach EMAS". It summarizes seven advantages of being registered under EMAS.
The Committee of Sustainability and Health (Comité de Développement durable en Santé, C2DS) and the French Ministry of the Environment are cooperating to support organisations in the French medical sector in the EMAS registration process.
The European Commission is holding consultations as part of a review of its policies on sustainable consumption and production. The consultations provide a forum for citizens and organisations to share their views and opinions on future sustainable consumption and production measures in the European Union (EU). Stakeholders have an opportunity to do this before the measures are decided upon. We encourage you to support the European Commission in its endeavours and to participate in the consultation before 3 April 2012.
Among other innovations, the revised EMAS Regulation ("EMAS III") introduces the concept of Sectoral Reference Documents (SRD). SRD help EMAS registered organisations in the drive towards environmental excellence. An indicative list of priority sectors for the SRDs was published in December 2011.
EMAS is now globally applicable. At the end of 2011 the European Commission published an official guidance document about EMAS Coorporate and EMAS Global. The document outlines the provisions for the EMAS registration of multiple sites in- and outside Europe. This offers a great opportunity for organisations to implement the premium environmental management standard at their sites worldwide.
The EMAS Awards 2011 were handed out in Cracow, Poland on 17 November 2011. As illustrated below a wide variety of media channels picked up the event and praised the excellent performance of the EMAS Awards winners and nominees. The focus theme this year was the engagement of the EMAS organisations with their stakeholders.
MAN is famous for producing strong trucks and buses. The company also shows strong commitment to the environment. MAN Poland kindly invited participants at the EMAS Awards 2011 ceremony to take a guided tour through their brand new EMAS registered production plant in Niepolomice in Poland. The event took place on 18 November 2011.
Carbon footprint of food adds up along the food chain, Science for Environment Policy
Open Consultations, European Commission, Your Voice in Europe
Rio+20: Pathways to a Sustainable Future, Council of the European Union
SWITCH-Asia - promoting sustainable consumption and production in Asia, Europa Press
release RAPID
Minerals and metal scarcity in manufacturing: The ticking time bomb, PwC survey
29 March 2012
Frankfurt/Main, Germany
Environmental Manager Day
The German Association for Environmental Management Professionals (VNU, Verband für nachhaltiges Umweltmanagement) will discuss the steps to take from environmental to sustainability management.
17 - 18 April 2012
Stuttgart, Germany
8th German CSR Forum
This year's forum will also include the 1st European Biodiversity Summit.
8 May 2012
Brussels, Belgium
5th European EMS Forum 2012
A Conference for environmental managers, environmental auditors and verifiers and other EMS professionals, where discussion will revolve around news about environmental management systems (EMAS / ISO 14001) in relation to other management system (ISO 26000, ISO 50001), and the current state of EMAS reference documents.
22 - 25 May 2012
Brussels, Belgium
Green Week
The 12th "Green Week", Europe's biggest annual conference on environmental policy takes place in May. This year's theme is "Water".
