News stories and press releases
In this section, Competent and Accreditation Bodies, the Commission, the EMAS Helpdesk and other organisations have the opportunity to advertise seminars, conferences, reports, studies and any other EMAS related issues. Please note that the EMAS Helpdesk cannot check every information in this section. Additional information should be asked from the contact persons directly.
Latest News (update 02 February 2012)
December 2011
European EMAS Awards 2011
On 17 November 2011, six organisations were announced as winners of the European EMAS Awards for excellence in environmental management. The 2011 edition focused on stakeholder involvement, leading to continuous improvement.
Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik said: “The environmental challenges we face today concern us all and they require joint action. I congratulate the winners – and all the nominees – on their commitment to improving the environment. I trust that their innovative solutions and successful involvement of different stakeholders will inspire others to follow suit.”
The event took place in Cracow’s Wieliczka Salt Mine, which is listed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list. The participants embarked on a journey below ground level to the ceremony venue, the impressive Warszawa Chamber. Over a delicious four-course menu, all the nominees for the 2011 EMAS Awards were presented followed by the presentation of the winners. Here is a summary and a photo gallery of the evening.
The trophy (on the left) was designed by the German Artist Floriana M. Ohldag. Both the materials of which the Award is made and the “green” production process reflect the environmental focus of the EMAS Awards. The EMAS can truly be considered an 'Environmental Oscar'. Jeremy Wates of the European Environmental Bureau, chairman of a jury of eight independent international experts in environmental management, presented the EMAS Awards 2011 to the winners.
The Winners
Belvas Organic Chocolate (Belgium) won the EMAS Award 2011 in the category “micro-organisation”. The company is a Belgian chocolate manufacturer with a strong belief in organic agriculture and fair-trade. Input from experienced suppliers is used to improve resource efficiency in the production process.
The EMAS Award 2011 in the second category “small organisation” was presented to KNEISSLER Brüniertechnik GmbH (Germany). A family business offering chemical surface treatment services, Kneissler’s strong environment performance mainly rests upon active involvement of employees in environmental management. Employees with excellent environmental improvement suggestions are rewarded at the end of each year.
Austria’s ebswien hauptkläranlage received the EMAS Award 2011 in the category “medium-sized organisation”. Vienna’s wastewater treatment plant makes an important contribution to the protection of the environment by taking care of Vienna’s wastewater. ebswien hauptkläranlage stands out for their excellent communication and education work.
The EMAS Award 2011 in the category “large organisation” went to EUROBANK EFG, Greece. Within the multi-site organisation, Environmental Officers and Deputy Environmental Officers have been appointed in every branch and in key business units. The bank also actively promotes sustainable business practices in its sector.
The Fritz-Erler-Schule Pforzheim (Germany) won the EMAS Award in the category “small public organisation”. About 2,000 students are offered numerous opportunities to become active in the field of ecology. Teachers and suppliers are also actively engaged in environmental protection.
The local authority responsible for the administration of the Municipality of Ravenna, Italy, involves employees and stakeholders through a dynamic participatory process. Green procurement, focusing on the purchasing of recycled paper, school furniture made of certified materials and other items, is a crucial element in the organisation’s environmental policy. Ravenna won the EMAS Award 2011 in the category “large public organisation”.
Further information
You can also find EMAS Awards information on Facebook and Twitter.
For further information please contact emasawards@adelphi.de or +49 (0)30 89 000 68 83.
All pictures © European Commission, 2011.
Eco-friendly travelling with MyDestination Barcelona
The tourism booking website MyDestination is the first online travel portal to promote both EMAS registered and EU Ecolabel licensed tourist accommodations, as well as organisations carrying the Catalan label Garantia for one of its destinations: Barcelona.
On the basis of its comprehensive and up-to-date information, MyDestination Barcelona aims not only to be the number one online guide for Barcelona, but also to be the first point of reference for environmentally-aware visitors to the city. This is good news for “green” accommodation providers, as it provides a convenient and efficient marketing tool directed to their target group: environmentally responsible travellers.
The integration of EMAS, the EU Ecolabel and the Garantia label into the booking tool provides added value for all companies advertising through MyDestination Barcelona. Likewise, consumers wishing to reduce the environmental impact of their trip also benefit from this innovation. By using the MyDestination booking tool, they can thus contribute to the preservation of the places they visit on their holidays.
The businesses presented on the MyDestination Barcelona website using (one of) the three environmental policy instruments are grouped into different categories, including accommodation, restaurants, nightlife, and shops. Site visitors can easily identify environmentally sustainable tourism options with the help of the logos of the three instruments displayed alongside the search results.
About EMAS and the EU Ecolabel:
EMAS registered organisations have committed themselves to improving their environmental performance and providing relevant information to the public. EMAS is the premium environmental management instrument.
Awarding the EU Ecolabel to a producer or service provider is a key step towards more environmentally responsible behaviour. It establishes a commitment to reducing the negative impacts of the product or service on the environment throughout its lifecycle.
Both EMAS and the EU Ecolabel are voluntary environmental policy instruments promoting environmental sustainability among businesses and other organisations. The difference between EMAS and the EU Ecolabel is that environmental management schemes are focused on the environmental performance of the company in the production process, while ecolabelling schemes focus on specific products or services of the firm.
About the Catalan label Garantia:
The Catalan label “Garantia de qualitat ambiental” focuses on businesses affiliated with rural tourism that seek to reduce their environmental impact. Organisations carrying the label meet high requirements on the development of a waste sorting system, water-saving infrastructure, green procurement policy, an energy efficiency concept and an environmental programme that actively involves customers and suppliers.
Further information on MyDestination is available at: http://www.mydestination.com/barcelona/usefulinfo/6178247/eco-friendly-companies
Further information on the EU Ecolabel is available at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/index_en.htm
Further information on EMAS is available at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/index_en.htm
Further information on Garantia de qualitat ambiental, the
Catalan Eco-Label, is available(in Spanish) at:
http://www10.gencat.cat/gencat/AppJava/es/actualitat2/2007/ 71114establimentstursticsrespectuososamblentorn.jsp
Similar information on EMAS in Germany can be found via: http://www.emas.de/aktuelles/meldungsordner-2009/meldungsordner-2010/meldungenderemas-redaktion10-2010/uba-broschuere-emas-hotels/
Premium hotel Ritz-Carlton Berlin registered to the leading environmental management instrument
November 2011 was an important month for EMAS in the tourism sector. The Ritz-Carlton in Berlin, Germany is the first 5 star hotel in Europe to be registered under EMAS. Without reducing its level of luxury, the hotel is now officially environmentally friendly.
Centrally located on the famous Potsdamer Platz, with historical sites like the Brandenburg Gate as well as museums, boulevards and the Tiergarten Park in walking distance, the Ritz-Carlton is one of the top addresses when it comes to exclusive hotels in Berlin. It currently employs about 200 people and offers 303 rooms and suites.
To be able to meet increasing demands from guests and partners on environmental sustainability, the Ritz-Carlton Berlin decided to introduce an environmental management system in May 2010. As a premium hotel it made a clear decision for EMAS. Aiming for environmental protection and continuous improvement, the hotel closely examined all areas and activities related to its core business. It also thoroughly analysed its direct and indirect environmental impact, including water and energy consumption, waste, CO2 emissions and procurement. Highly motivated employees quickly picked the initiative up and drove it further. In November 2011, the hotel published its first environmental statement according to the challenging EMAS requirements.
Key achievements include the installation of water aerators in private rooms and in public areas. This reduced the water consumption by 50%. The introduction of an innovative energy-saving lighting concept reduced the energy consumption by 16.7% within a year. Including environmental criteria in its business to business procurement “greened” the supply chain. The Ritz-Carlton solely purchases energy from renewable sources. Environmentally friendly products are purchased as much as possible in the following fields: housekeeping and detergent & cleaning agents. Deposit boxes are used for the delivery of goods and packaging materials are returned to the suppliers. The Ritz-Carlton prefers contractors with a systematic environmental management system such as EMAS, ISO 14001 or an equivalent. A monitoring system regarding the suppliers’ compliance with qualitative and environmentally relevant standards supports the practical implementation of this policy. Guests help avoid unnecessary washing by actively signalling if they want towels and bed linens to be changed. One third of the honey produced by bee hives on the hotel roof is served for breakfast.
In order to ensure the thorough implementation of its environmental objectives, the hotel board created the REACT team (Ritz-Carlton Environmental Action Conservation Team), headed by an environmental officer. Employees receive instructions and additional training on environmental topics. An initial training session on EMAS was conducted in cooperation with one of Berlin’s universities.
For the Ritz-Carlton, environmental protection and high quality standards are two sides of the same coin. “The protection and conservation of nature is part of our quality management strategy. The protection of the environment is now one of the hotel’s business principles,” said General Manager Robert Petrovic.
This article is based on the press release of the Ritz-Carlton Berlin, available at: http://www.ritzcarlton.com/de/Properties/Berlin/Information/grunes_licht_fur_erstes_funf_sterne_hotel_europa.htm
Further information on the EMAS registration of the Ritz-Carlton Berlin is available at: http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Berlin/Default.htm
The European Commission, in consultation with EU Member States and other stakeholders, develops Sectoral Reference Documents whose objective is to provide guidance to organisations and facilitate implementation of the requirements of EMAS. Information will be given (inter alia) on the use of environmental core indicators and performance indicators for specific sectors, benchmarks of excellence, and ratings systems identifying environmental performance levels. Further information on the EMAS Sectoral Reference Document for the tourism sector is available at: http://susproc.jrc.ec.europa.eu/activities/emas/tourism.html
November 2011
Launch of the new EMAS Register!
The EMAS Register is an online database listing all EMAS registered organisations and sites. From December 2010 to October 2011, the database has undergone a period of transition, to make the register EMAS III proof and to improve its user friendliness. Therefore we are happy to announce its recent re-opening!
The register is open to all members of the EMAS community and public. In the register you can:
- Search the for detailed data of EMAS registered organisations;
- View and download a variety of statistics on the registered organisations;
- Find environmental statements of EMAS registered organisations.
The Register is updated regularly by the Competent Bodies from the EU countries.
You can access the new register at the following address: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/register
Screenshot of new Register (see EMAS newsletter)
Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe Launched
Resource efficiency is one of the seven so-called ‘flagship’ initiatives of Europe 2020, the economic reform strategy of the EU. On 20 September, the European Commission launched its Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe. It shows how resource use can be measured and decoupled from economic growth. Even without binding political directives, companies are encouraged to take appropriate measures to increase resource efficiency in order to protect the environment and reduce costs. In the process they also improve their corporate image.
Natural resources underpin our economy and quality of life. Continuing our current patterns of resource use is no option. Increasing resource efficiency is essential to secure jobs and promote growth in Europe. It creates major economic opportunities, improves productivity, reduces costs and boosts competitiveness. As the flagship initiative for a resource-efficient Europe under the Europe 2020 strategy, the Roadmap supports the shift towards a resource-efficient, low-carbon economy to achieve sustainable growth.
The initiative provides a long-term framework for action in many policy areas. It supports agendas for climate change, energy, transport, industry, raw materials, agriculture, fisheries, biodiversity and regional development. It aims at increasing investments and promoting innovation.. The most important goals of the Roadmap are to:
- boost economic performance while reducing resource use
- identify and create new opportunities for economic growth and greater innovation and boost the EU's competitiveness
- ensure security of supply of essential resources
- cope with climate change, and
- limit the environmental impacts of resource use.
EMAS is aligned with EU 2020 strategy and the Roadmap. After the recent revision, the EMAS scheme can exploit its full potential for improving the resource efficiency of production processes. EMAS can help registered organisations to increase their resource efficiency. EMAS provides a systematic, strategic and practical management approach to reducing both the consumption of resources and operating costs. In fact, the financial benefit cited most frequently by respondents of the ‘Study on the Costs and Benefits of EMAS to Registered Organisations’ is linked to reductions in energy use and more efficient resource use. Annual energy savings alone often exceeded the annual costs of EMAS.
Via EMAS resource efficiency and other environmental issues can be integrated into the entire value chain of an organisation.
The official press release on the roadmap is available here.
The Roadmap for a Resource Efficient Europe is available here.
Further information on the Roadmap for a Resource Efficient Europe is available here.
Further information on EMAS contribution to resource efficiency is available in a fact sheet.
The fastest EMAS registered company is the first automotive company passing the ISO 50001 finishing line
Automobili Lamborghini is famous for its fast cars. But in certification issues the sports car manufacturer also finishes first. It was the first and only EMAS registered automotive company in Italy, and now it is also the first to obtain an energy management certificate according to the ISO standard 50001.
Protecting the environment is part of the long-term strategy of the automotive company. Lamborghini aims to improve the environmental impact of the cars they produce and of their production process. An environmental performance milestone was the inauguration of the new photovoltaic system installed at the production site in Sant’Agata Bolognese. It is the biggest photovoltaic system in the industrial sector of Emilia Romagna’s and reduces CO2 emissions by more than 1.552 tons per year. The total power of the system is 2.100 KW.
With its ISO 50001 certificate the company is fast tracking its environmental protection efforts. ISO 50001 helps to improve its systematic energy management. Because the requirements are very similar to the EMAS requirements, EMAS registered organisations can quickly meet the ISO 50001 requirements.
Lamborghini is strongly committed to the constant improvement of its energy performance in all areas: Development, design, and production of super sports cars are monitored with regard to energy saving potential. To acknowledge this and Lamborghini’s after-sale service, as well as the endeavour in sustainable building, the ISO 50001 certificate was given in October 2011.
“We are truly proud to have attained ISO 50001 certification, which consolidates Lamborghini's environmental sustainability and energy efficiency commitment,” said Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of the Sant’Agata Bolognese company. “We are also actively working on measures and projects that will result in the plant becoming neutral in terms of CO2 emissions by 2015.”
The ISO 50001 certificate was awarded after a demanding verification process by DNV Business Assurance. For Lamborghini the new ISO standard is the most appropriate tool for monitoring the achievement of its energy efficiency goals. The new standard includes performing a detailed energy assessment, and integrates CO2 reduction targets for buildings in the assessment.
To achieve the targets a brand-new energy efficient building to house the Prototype and Pre-Series Assembly Department is planned for 2012. Lamborghini’s latest EMAS environmental statement is available here.
Further information on Lamborghini’s ISO 50001 certification is available here.
Further information on Lamborghini’s sustainability management is available here.
Further information on ISO 50001 is available here.
Product site
EMAS Club Catalonia: Exhibition on waste
“See the waste you produce, both at home and at work!” is the English translation of the title for an exhibition that was launched in 2010 by the regional EMAS Club in Catalonia. During 28 weeks, the travelling exhibition was present at 12 different EMAS companies. The tour recommences after the 2011 European Week for Waste Prevention, taking place from 19 to 27 November.
EMAS registered organisations can significantly influence the environmental behaviour of their employees and business partners, both at work and in their free time. This is why the Club EMAS, with the support of the Waste Agency of Catalonia (ARC), has developed an exhibition to raise awareness. It contains a collection of objects and products that are present in our daily lives, but of whose environmental impact we are mostly unaware.
The travelling exhibition has two objectives: to prevent and reduce waste both at home and at work and to create – via case studies – synergies so that environmental practices can be transferred from one area to the other (home and work).
The practical examples used at the exhibition come from different areas: cleaning and personal hygiene products, office supplies, bottles and packaging from our daily shopping, the lunches we take to work and school every day, clothing, home appliances and so forth. A short video highlights the average quantity of waste one person generates throughout a year. It also presents detailed data and interesting facts about the generation of domestic waste. The environmental impact of these products is explained and existing solutions to minimise waste are presented.
Because the exhibition wants to set an example itself regarding waste prevention, the use of second-hand, reused, recycled and compostable materials was optimized right from the design phase. By doing so the lifetime of the exhibition and the reuse of its materials at the end of their lifecycle are optimised.
Has your organisation found a creative and effective way of using the EMAS logo as a communication tool? The EMAS Helpdesk would be glad to publish further examples on the website. Please click here to contact us.
Further information on the exhibition (in Catalan) is available at http://www.clubemas.cat/ca/Jornades/acasaialafeinavisualitzaelsteusresidus/index.html
The video is available at http://www.clubemas.cat/ca/Jornades/acasaialafeinavisualitzaelsteusresidus/index.html
Project implemented by:
With the support of:
October 2011
An effective use of the EMAS logo – the case of the Italian company Rizzi Francesco Autospurghi
The EMAS logo is an attractive visual tool designed to highlight an EMAS registered organisation’s commitment to improving its environmental performance. By displaying the EMAS logo prominently on its trucks, the transportation company Rizzi Francesco Autospurghi (IT-001109) shows how EMAS registered organisations can effectively use the logo as a communication tool.
Rizzi Francesco Autospurghi specialises in dealing with hazardous and non hazardous waste which has to be transported. EMAS registration is a distinctive element in the company’s environmental approach, since the scheme demonstrates systematic management of environmental aspects such as energy consumption, waste water and emissions as well as full compliance with applicable legal requirements. Using the EMAS logo emphasises the reliability and credibility of the company and its desire to be as transparent as possible to all its stakeholders about its environmental performance.
The EMAS logo raises awareness about the scheme among parties for whom it is relevant and the wider public. This may be particularly valuable for organisations, such as Rizzi Francesco Autospurghi, which deal directly with their customers. As part of a supply chain of companies producing hazardous waste the company is concerned that the highest environmental management standards are met in its business operations.
Has your organisation found a creative and effective way of using the EMAS logo as a communication tool? The EMAS Helpdesk would be glad to publish further examples on the website. Please click here to contact us.
Examples on how to use the EMAS logo are available on this website. Further information on Rizzi Francesco Autospurghi is available at: http://www.autospurghirizzifrancesco.com/certificazion.
Source: Credit © European Union, 2011
September 2011
‘Good practice’ – EMAS Awards nominees’ ways of involving stakeholders
Successful stakeholder involvement is crucial for an organisation’s sustainability and its success. This year’s EMAS Awards pay extra attention to valuing how the 36 nominees involve and inspire their stakeholders in order to achieve their environmental goals. The nominees have established fascinating and innovative ways to involve stakeholders such as environmental training programmes for suppliers, face-to-face meetings with local authorities and neighbours of production sites or environmental education programmes for children.
In the coming days the nominees’ stakeholder involvement activities will be presented at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/emasawards/nominees.htm
Interested in finding out more about EMAS and the upcoming Awards ceremony? Join us on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/nDq7x4 and Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/green2eu
Welcome to the Club!
Interested in sharing best practices in environmental management or discussing EMAS topics with other registered organisations? Then the EMAS Club Europe is for you! The German Association of Environmental Professionals (VNU) has founded this communication platform for all European EMAS registered organisations. The EMAS Club Europe will meet on the regional, national and international level. The kick-off meeting of the EMAS Club Europe is scheduled for 8 February 2012 in Bonn, Germany.
Over the last years, EMAS Clubs have emerged on the regional or national level in the Mediterranean countries of Italy and Spain. EMAS Clubs are private not-for-profit associations made up of EMAS registered companies and other organisations from different sectors and of different sizes. The clubs are intended to support organisations in implementing EMAS by providing in-depth, specialized knowledge on environmental management and facilitating the exchange of best practices on EMAS issues such as the use of key performance indicators or stakeholder involvement. Additionally, EMAS Clubs provide a forum for regional enterprises to share their involvement with public authorities and the local community. Benefits of joining an EMAS Club include:
- More visibility among key stakeholders
- Better communication of environmental commitment and performance
- More active relationships with public authorities and the local community
- Being part of a competent and authoritative network of organisations in the field of sustainable production and consumption
VNU noticed that an 'EMAS Club Europe' could be a useful representation tool that could help the existing EMAS clubs to have a voice when dealing with public authorities and other social and economic stakeholders on a pan-European level. With this in mind the new association will seek solutions to common issues encountered by all organisations, such as issues linked to (green) public procurement or the integration of EMAS in sectoral standards.
Are you interested in joining the EMAS Club Europe and/or the kick-off meeting? Further information on the club is available here (in English) and here (in German). The registration form is available here (in English) and here (in German).
Further information on EMAS Clubs in Italy and Spain is available at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/tools/links_en.htm.
EMAS registered organisations sweep the board at ÖkoGlobe 2011!
The ÖkoGlobe Awards are given to companies in the automotive industry that offer sustainable products and services or have established sustainable production processes. At this year’s ceremony, which took place in Karlsruhe (Germany) on 6 September, five out of nine winners were EMAS registered organisations. This result confirms that organisations with EMAS are frontrunners on many sustainability issues.
ÖkoGlobe winners stand out for their innovative concepts, products and processes which foster sustainability in the automotive industry. They are chosen by an interdisciplinary jury consisting of six representatives of the automotive industry and affiliated institutions.
We would like to congratulate the following five EMAS registered companies for winning an ÖkoGlobe 2011:
- BMW (category: new materials in automotive manufacture) for light weight construction based on carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) technology
- Evonic (category: ecological concept car) for their electric vehicle Wind Explorer 2011
- Ford (category: series production vehicle with sustainability aspects) for the series production launch of the TRANSIT CONNECT Electric
- Daimler (category: new mobility concepts) for the Bus Rapid Transit System
- Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler, the owner of the EMAS registered Schaeffler Gruppe (category: outstanding personality), for her promotion of environmental matters at her company
The ÖkoGlobe was initiated in 2007 by HA Schult, a German painter, photographer and performance artist. The awards are sponsored and organised by the insurance company DEVK Versicherungen and the automotive association ACV Automobil Club Verkehr in cooperation with the ÖkoGlobe Institute of the University of Duisburg-Essen. The award is handed out under the patronage of Norbert Röttgen, the German Minister for the Environment.
Further information on the ÖkoGlobe is available at http://www.oekoglobe.de/index.html.
August 2011
I want to ride my bicycle…
The Catalonian Club EMAS, with the support of the Catalonian Office for Climate Change, has carried out a project focused on the identification, measurement and reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of EMAS registered organisations. In order to encourage employees to participate in a survey of modes of transport to work, their names were in a draw for a folding bicycle provided by Club EMAS.
The project consisted of five workshops on climate change taking into account different aspects of the issue: energy consumption, green procurement, resource efficiency, calculating GHG emissions and GHG reporting. Participants had the opportunity to calculate their organisation’s GHG emissions and support their organisations’ work under voluntary agreements for the reduction of GHG emissions. These agreements have been designed by the Catalan Office for Climate Change to involve organisations that are not covered under the EU Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS). It is a way to reduce GHG emissions of Catalonian organisations on a voluntarily basis.
As part of the project, employees of EMAS registered organisations have participated in a transport survey. It was designed to help organisations identify modes of transportation to work and promote the use of public transport, car sharing and bicycles among their workers, thereby reducing GHG emissions. All participants took part in a prize draw. The winner received a folding bicycle, which is the fast track to fewer emissions and a perfect mode of transport, particularly in urban areas.
Further information on the project and a video are available at http://www.clubemas.cat/ca/Jornades/empresesxunbonclima/sorteigbiciemasperunbonclima.html
Source: Credit © European Union, 2011
SAVE THE DATE! EMAS Awards 2011 - 17 November 2011 in Cracow, Poland
The EMAS Awards praise the excellent work on environmental protection of EMAS registered organisations. EMAS is the premium environmental management instrument. Every year the European Commission hands out the EMAS Awards for outstanding environmental achievements to the 'best of the best'. The winners of this prestigious award in environmental management will be announced at the official EMAS Awards ceremony on 17 November 2011 in the ancient and beautiful Wieliczka Salt Mine, located near Cracow.
This year’s EMAS Awards will highlight the excellent work done by private and public organisations on “Stakeholder involvement, including employee involvement, leading to continuous improvement”
Stakeholder involvement focuses on those interests and actors who affect or, in turn, are affected by the organisation. Because stakeholder relationships are complex and involve many actors, this can be a very demanding task. EMAS provides registered organisations with tools to master this challenge. EMAS registered organisations engage with stakeholders through dialogues with employees, face-to-face meetings with local authorities and neighbours of production sites or environmental training programmes for suppliers.
We kindly invite you to join us at the EMAS Awards ceremony in the Wieliczka Salt Mine on 17 November 2011 to enjoy an unforgettable evening and learn more about excellent environmental management practices.
To make online reservations, please go to http://www.emasawards.adelphi.de/
Please note that only a limited amount of places is available for attending the EMAS Awards ceremony.
The programme for the Awards ceremony will soon be posted at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/emasawards/index.htm
Further information on EMAS is available at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/index_en.htm.
If you have questions or difficulties making reservations, please contact Jana Roediger or Gregor Gruettner at adelphi: emasawards@adelphi.de or +49-30-8900068-0
The SAS Group - the only airline that is both EMAS and ISO 14001 certified
The SAS Group (including SAS, Blue1 and Widerøe) is the only airline worldwide to have topped up ISO 14001 with the premium environmental management tool EMAS. The company was founded in 1946 as a consortium of the national airlines of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. With 25.4 million passengers per year SAS is one of the largest airlines in Europe. The company’s environmental objective is to fly with 20 percent fewer total emissions in 2020, and its vision is to make it possible to fly with zero emissions by 2050.
The continuously increasing emissions from the aviation industry led to the decision of European Commission to include it in the EU Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS). The scheme seeks to reduce emissions caused by airline operations. Under EU ETS, airlines would receive tradeable allowances covering a certain level of CO2 emissions from their flights per year. After each year operators would be required to hand over a number of allowances equal to their actual emissions in that year.
The SAS Group takes a proactive stance towards environmental protection and thus registered its sites in the four Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden with EMAS at the end of 2010 through the Danish EMAS Competent Body. According to Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer at SAS Group:
“Many of our customers, particularly corporate customers, demand environmentally certified products and services. We can now offer these, which further strengthens our position as one of the most environmentally aware airlines on the market.”
EMAS covers all aspects of the company’s business from flight operations to administration. Key environmental aspects addressed with EMAS include aircrafts’ fuel consumption – reduced by means of a fuel-saving program – as well as waste from ground handling activities. The plan encompasses more than 50 different activities such as more frequent cleaning of engines and reducing the weight of aircrafts. At the end of 2010, the fuel-saving program had achieved an annual reduction of 131,000 tons of carbon dioxide compared with the base period July 2005/June 2006. The environmental impact of ground handling activities was also reduced in cooperation with airports. Together with the Kaastrup-Copenhagen airport the SAS Group introduced more environmentally friendly vehicles and ground equipment, and an energy plan was drafted to reduce energy consumption at facilities. The objective of the plan is to save 15 percent on energy consumption (total kWh) by the end of 2015 and it includes methods for monitoring, recording, planning and improving energy performance.
A press release is available at http://www.cisionwire.com/sas/r/sas-group-s-airline-companies-the-only-ones-in-the-world-with-iso-14001-and-emas-environmental-certification,c513962
Further information on SAS’ sustainability activities is available at http://www.sasgroup.net/SASGroup/default.asp.
Being prepared for climate change – Is EMAS a suitable adaptation instrument?
Climate change, caused by human activities, is already occurring and cannot be avoided completely, even when appropriate countermeasures are undertaken. Hence, adapting to climate change becomes inevitable, not only for societies at large but also for private and public organisations. Climate adaptation aims at building up resilience against the adverse effects of climate change, such as extreme weather events.
Undoubtedly, the consequences of climate change for organisations, particularly those in industry, can be significant: e.g. loss of business continuity, decreased productivity, changing markets, difficult access to resources or increased repair costs. The focus of climate adaptation lies on coping with these effects by, for example, preventing or minimising damages. What role can EMAS play in this process?
The UK Climate Impacts Programme (2011) has developed a guide to help organisations embed an approach towards climate adaptation into an existing management system, such as an Environmental Management System. Successful climate adaptation is based on the “Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle”, just like the EMAS scheme is. Climate change adaption requires organisations to understand their vulnerability (e.g. experience of past events), to identify significant climate risks (e.g. through climate projections), and to plan and implement adaptation options. Finally they check the success of their actions and work towards continual improvement.
But organisations need to take additional steps to integrate climate adaptation seamlessly into their management approach. For example, when identifying significant environmental aspects organisations will have to pay special attention to climate impacts. When assigning responsibilities for EMAS and setting up processes, the person in charge will also need to have a basic understanding of potential impacts from weather and climate change and the need to adapt. Furthermore, an organisation needs to identify where adaptation-related processes are located within the organisation (e.g. in procuring potentially scarce resources, or considering adverse effects such as droughts or flooding at production sites) in order to launch adaptation measures. Additionally, the environmental policy should make it clear that climate adaptation may require considerations outside the existing environmental management scope. For example, successful climate adaptation requires organisations to look not only at impacts of the organisation on the environment, but also on impacts caused by climate change on the organisation.
Does your organisation integrate the management of climate change impacts into its Environmental Management System? Please contact the EMAS Helpdesk to share information with us.
This web news article refers to the following document:
Johnstone, Kay and Alex Moczarski (UK Climate Impacts Programme; 2011): Climate Change Adaptation. Adapting to Climate Risks Using ISO 9001, ISO 14001, BS 25999 and BS 31100.
Further EU information on climate adaptation is available at http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/adaptation/index_en.htm
A symbolic Greenpeace demonstration: replicas of world famous buildings
sinking due to global warming.
Source: Credit © European Union, 2011.
July 2011
Welcome to EMAS! First registered organisation in Bulgaria
The European Commission congratulates TIME Foundation and welcomes it as the first EMAS registered organisation in Bulgaria. TIME Foundation achieved registration with the most prestigious environmental management scheme in July 2011. The non-profit organisation used the EMAS Easy approach to implement the scheme.
TIME Foundation, located in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia, is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting sustainable development in Bulgaria by means of working with private and public stakeholders through workshops, training, and general information campaigns. The organisation focuses on two main areas: environmental management and environmental education. For example, it is currently involved in the “EMAS Easy Move-IT!” project, which is carried out by a consortium led by Eco-Conseil (Belgium) and financed under the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme of the European Union. The project supports organisations in the tourism and service sector by offering group registrations with EMAS.
TIME Foundation has committed itself to EMAS’ demanding, continuous improvement cycle not only to improve its own environmental performance but also to influence the behaviour of the many stakeholders it works with by setting them a positive example. In doing so, the organisation covers both direct and indirect environmental matters. The most significant direct ones identified include monitoring electricity consumption and reducing paper waste. Significant indirect environmental aspects include working with stakeholders during the implementation phase of projects and increasing the purchase of “green” products.
Kamen Chipev, programme and projects director at TIME Foundation, is fully convinced that EMAS is perfectly equipped to improve organisations’ environmental performance continuously: “For the last 5 years we have worked to promote EMAS in Bulgaria, which, in my view, is a more attractive scheme than ISO 14001. During that time, we got to know other organisations involved in EMAS across the EU and learned how to implement it. Since it was a little bit difficult to establish the scheme in a Bulgarian organisation, given the financial crisis and other factors, we decided to implement EMAS at our own organisation first in order to ‘practice what we preach’.”
Time Foundation’s EMAS environmental statement is available at:
http://www.time-foundation.org/images/stories/emaseasy/env_statement_time_web_en.pdf
Further information on TIME Foundation is available at:
http://www.time-foundation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1&lang=en
Further information on the “EMAS Easy Move-IT!” project is available at:
http://150807.edicypages.com/project
Report on eco-innovations available online
The Eco-Innovation Observatory (EIO) recently published its first annual report, “The Eco-Innovation Challenge: Pathways to a resource efficient Europe”. Delivered by a consortium of several organisations and financed by the European Commission, the report emphasises the importance of EMAS in spurring eco-innovations in companies and other organisations.
Many studies confirm that finding eco-innovative solutions to pressing sustainability problems, like climate change and resource depletion, gives organisations a competitive advantage in the market.
The report “The Eco-Innovation Challenge: Pathways to a resource efficient Europe” introduces the concept of eco-innovations and links it to the European Commission’s economic reform strategy “Europe 2020” and its “Resource-efficient Europe” initiative. As a critical issue, resource efficiency is currently in the spotlight due to environmental problems resulting from unsustainable resource extraction and use, and difficulties of accessing certain resources. As highlighted in the report, innovative production processes, products and services help to achieve a low-resource and low-carbon economy, and help organisations to secure affordable access to resources. Additionally, the report provides information on good eco-innovation practices in the EU and describes how companies can explore their untapped eco-innovation potential.
The report also notes that an EMAS registration effectively supports companies’ eco-innovation activities. Through the scheme, both private and public organisations are able to embed innovation in their corporate culture and management processes, develop innovative ideas in cooperation with stakeholders and determine the environmental footprint of their products or services throughout their life-cycle.
Information on the project and the report:
The EIO is a 3-year initiative financed by the European Commission's Directorate-General for the Environment, from the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP). The Observatory is developing an integrated information source and a series of analyses of eco-innovation trends and markets, targeting businesses, innovation service providers and policy makers as well as researchers and analysts.
EIO (2011): The Eco-Innovation Challenge: Pathways to a resource-efficient Europe. Eco-Innovation Observatory. Funded by the European Commission, DG Environment, Brussels.
Further information on the report and the project is available at http://www.eco-innovation.eu
Further information on how EMAS stimulates eco-innovation is available in the latest EMAS Newsletter.
UPM and the Schaeffler Group: Front-runners in EMAS corporate registration
UPM (Finland) and the Schaeffler Group (Germany) are two of the very first companies to achieve corporate registration under EMAS. With the introduction of the latest revision of EMAS in 2010, the scheme allows registered organisations to cover individual sites in different countries under one corporate registration.
A corporate registration significantly eases administrative and financial burdens, since an organisation with multiple sites can apply for corporate registration of all or some of its sites in one or more EU Member State and in countries worldwide.
UPM, a forest industry company with approximately 22,000 employees around the world, has been registered with EMAS since 1996. Currently, 15 of its sites in Europe are EMAS registered. Achieving corporate registration was a pilot project of UPM, the European Commission, the Finnish Environmental Institute SYKE and Inspecta Certification. EMAS environmental verifiers in Finland, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Austria carried out local auditing.
The main reason for UPM to seek corporate registration was to streamline the verification and validation process in different countries in order to be in a better position to meet requirements established by environmental verifiers.
The new UPM EMAS statement comprises a corporate and mill supplement section. The corporate report includes group-level information and core indicators on, for example, energy and material efficiency. The mill supplement adds local information such as environmental targets and accomplishments to the corporate report.
Päivi Salpakivi-Salomaa, Vice President, Environmental Affairs, is satisfied with the outcome of the process: “The pilot project took time but it was worth it. I believe that with this initiative UPM is able to help other international companies to take similar steps and to increase transparency of the companies’ environmental performance. Our new corporate EMAS registration demonstrates UPM’s commitment to environmental sustainability.”
The Schaeffler Group, a manufacturer of rolling bearings and 
linear products as well as a supplier to the automotive industry, took similar steps to achieve corporate registration. The company, employing about 70,000 people in more than 50 countries, gained EMAS registration in 1996. Currently, 39 of its production sites across Europe are EMAS registered.
In order to reap the benefits of corporate registration, the Schaeffler Group has brought together its 26 German and 5 of the other European production sites so that all 31 sites can now use one registration number. For Lennart Schleicher, Head of Environment & Safety, Management System at Schaeffler Group, noted that the main reason to choose corporate registration was to ensure a reasonable balance between the costs and benefits of EMAS registration: “The main cost driver is the frequency of external audits. Under a corporate registration the three biggest sites are subject to annual external audits, all other sites only two times in three years. These adjusted audit cycles would not have been possible when individual site registration was the only option.”
As part of its corporate registration the Schaeffler Group has published a separate EMAS statement for all sites. Each statement includes a corporate section followed by a local environmental statement.
Both UPM’s and the Schaeffler Group’s corporate registration experiences have helped pave the way for the widespread use of this opportunity on an EU or even a global level. An official guidance document addressing the different corporate registration options is currently being developed by the European Commission and will soon be available on this website.
Further information on UPM’s EMAS activities is available at http://www.upm.com/EN/RESPONSIBILITY/Pages/default.aspx
An official press release from UPM on its corporate registration approach is available at http://www.upm.com/EN/MEDIA/All-news/Pages/UPM-pioneers-in-renewed-EU%27s-environmental-management-system-001-Wed-25-May-2011-15-25.aspx
Further information on Schaeffler’s EMAS activities is available at http://www.schaeffler.com/content.schaeffler.de/de/company/environment/environment.jsp
Taking pictures for EMAS!
At Kiel University (Germany), which is in the process of implementing EMAS, a photo contest aimed at identifying good environmental practices has just ended. All members of the University, which is located in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein on the Baltic coast, were invited to submit photos of environmentally-friendly measures already being applied at the University.
Photo subjects could be, inter alia, energy efficiency and “green” buildings measures such as solar panels and biodiversity measures such as green spaces. The winners were awarded prizes, and their photos will be displayed in university buildings.
A photo taken by the student Gengis Duran was awarded the first prize. The picture with the title “Always nice and warm” illustrated how well-insulated one of the University’s main buildings, the refectory, is. The second prize was awarded to the student Andreas Fehler, who submitted an indoor photo of the refectory. The picture, titled “The light” impressively demonstrates that energy efficiency was a key theme when the refectory was designed.
Overall, more than 40 pictures were submitted. Dr. Norbert Kopytziok, coordinator for environmental management at Kiel University, was delighted about the quality of the photos. Popular motives were bicycle storage, but also water-saving sanitary installations and motion detectors in buildings.
Dr. Kopytziok emphasised that the photo contest aimed to present environmental protection as a positive and voluntary measure in order to encourage the entire University, with its approximately 23,000 students and 3,500 employees, to participate and to follow “good practices” already existing at the University.
In the short-to-medium term the University’s focus will be on reducing energy consumption in its buildings. Dr. Kopytziok estimates that energy savings of only 1 percent will be sufficient to cover the expense of registering with EMAS. The coordinator is very confident that this saving will be achieved once the scheme is fully implemented. EMAS registration is scheduled for the end of 2012.
According to Dr. Kopytziok, the University made the decision to join EMAS in 2010, since "the scheme has the best reputation among environmental management instruments”. In contrast to ISO 14001, a key requirement of EMAS is the participation of stakeholders in the environmental improvement process. It is in this context that the University sees EMAS implementation not as a “top-down” but as a participatory process. For example, a working group including members of all relevant University institutions was established to coordinate EMAS-related activities. Additionally, through an “ideas pool” on the University’s environmental management website, students and employees are able to make suggestions for environmental improvements.
Further information on the University’s EMAS activities and the photo contest is available at http://www.umweltmanagement.uni-kiel.de (only in German).
First place
“Always nice and warm” by Gengis Duran
Second place
“The light” by Andreas Fehler
June 2011
Joint EMAS and EU Ecolabel event took place in Spain
On 12 May a knowledge-sharing event took place at the Centre for the Improvement, Development and Promotion of Clean Technologies in Valencia. It aimed to promote EMAS and EU Ecolabel, besides disseminating information about the best available techniques for fostering clean technologies.
The event was organised by the Department of Environment, Water, Planning and Housing, Government of Valencia and the Official College of Industrial Engineers of Valencia. These bodies have a collaborative agreement aimed at carrying out joint actions for the promotion of clean technologies and environmentally-friendly procedures among industrial engineers and other interested groups. Initiatives include organising seminars, conferences and symposiums on priority issues such as enhancing programmes to prevent and control pollution and promoting EMAS and the EU Ecolabel.
The event’s target audience was companies, consultants and technical staff who work on the prevention and integrated control of pollution, and professionals working on environmental concerns. At the event EMAS was presented as a tool for sustainable management and environmental compliance, and the EU Ecolabel as a guarantee of the sustainability of industrial products.
Further information is available at: http://www.cma.gva.es/web/indice.aspx?nodo=73305&idioma=C
participants of the event
European Commission welcomes 25th EMAS registered organisation in Poland
The Environmental Information Centre, which is a unit of the Polish Ministry of the Environment, was awarded an EMAS certificate and added to the official EMAS register. The organisation is, inter alia, responsible for managing the environmental information website Ekoportal.
The Environmental Information Centre received its certificate during an official ceremony, acknowledging the organisation’s first EMAS verification and validation and its ambition to continue improving its environmental performance. The ceremony took place on 30 June, the evening before Poland took over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Hungary. The certificate was handed out to Mr. Cezary Starczewski, Director of the Environmental Information Centre, by Mr. Piotr Otawski, Deputy General Director for Environmental Protection.
The Environmental Information Centre’s task is to raise public awareness of environmental matters and sustainable development. Its website, Ekoportal, is addressed to the public, particularly entrepreneurs and public administrators. The portal aims to disseminate meta-information about documents developed by public administrations dealing with environmental issues, such as official decisions, policies, reports, databases and registers containing information about the environment and its protection.
Further information on the Environmental Information Centre and its website is available at www.ekoportal.gov.pl
EMAS ceremony on 30 June 2011
From left to right:
Piotr Otawski: Deputy General Director for Environmental Protection; Monika Dziadkowiec: Director General of the Ministry of the Environment; Alina Matuszak- Flejszman: Director of ALMAT Management System, EMAS Expert; Cezary Starczewski: Director of the Environmental Information Centre; Wieslawa Zembrzuska – Rudnicka: EMAS management representative at the Environmental Information Centre
European Commission announces 2011 EMAS Awards theme
The European Commission's annual environmental awards have been handed to private companies and public organisations for outstanding environmental achievements since 2000. This year’s EMAS Awards will focus on the excellent work private and public organisations have achieved through “stakeholder involvement, including employee involvement, leading to continuous improvement”. This most prestigious accolade has six categories. The winners will be announced at the official EMAS Awards ceremony on 17 November 2011 in Krakow (Poland).
Stakeholder involvement and management focuses on those interests and actors who affect or, in turn, are affected by the organisation. Given the fact that stakeholder relationships are characterised by a complex set of shifting, ambiguous and contested interactions between interested actors and within diverse organisations, involving stakeholders in a systematic and strategic manner can be a challenging task. EMAS provides registered organisations with tools to master this challenge.
Registered organisations regularly publish environmental statements, including data on environmental indicators, which summarise facts and figures about their environmental performance. Providing a large volume of information facilitates fruitful exchanges with stakeholders, which may translate into added value for organisations. Other ways to involve external stakeholders are face-to-face meetings with local authorities and neighbours at production sites) According to the “Study on the Costs and Benefits of EMAS to Registered Organisations” 83 percent of respondents indicated that their relationships with public regulators improved through EMAS. This should also result in easier permitting and licensing procedures. Additionally, respondents in the study emphasised that involving stakeholders, such as non-governmental organisations, increased mutual understanding and trust among the parties, thereby reducing the number of complaints. EMAS also helps companies “green” their supply chains. For example, they can award extra points to EMAS registered suppliers in their internal supplier assessment process. Additionally, by introducing EMAS to their suppliers companies can integrate environmental aspects into supplier training programmes and eventually build suppliers’ capacities regarding sustainability.
Providing information to employees and actively involving them in EMAS is another vital element in the scheme’s “continuous improvement cycle”. EMAS expects organisations to enable the participation of employees and to disseminate information to them. For example, in order to improve an organisation’s performance, employees should be offered training in specific environmental aspects such as resource or energy efficiency. As well, environmental committees, joint working groups or systems to glean suggestions could be established to improve employee morale. This, in turn, helps to enhance environmental performance.
Per Member State and EEA country, one organisation of each of the following 6 categories can be nominated for the 2011 EMAS Awards by the Competent Body (Bodies):
1. organisations from the private sector:
a. micro-organisations - employing fewer than 10 persons and having an annual turnover and/or annual balance sheet not exceeding 2 million €.
b. small organisations - employing fewer than 50 persons and having an annual turnover and/or annual balance sheet not exceeding 10 million €.
c. medium sized organisations - employing fewer than 250 persons and having an annual turnover not exceeding 50 million €, and/or an annual balance sheet not exceeding 43 million €.
d. large organisations - employing more than 250 persons and having an annual turnover exceeding 50 million €, and/or an annual balance sheet exceeding 43 million €
2. organisations from the public sector:
a. small organisations - governing less than 10.000 inhabitants and/or employing fewer than 250 persons and having an annual turnover not exceeding 50 million €, and/or an annual balance sheet not exceeding 43 million €.
b. large organisations - governing 10.000 or more inhabitants and/or employing more than 250 persons and having an annual turnover exceeding 50 million €, and/or an annual balance sheet exceeding 43 million €.
Is your EMAS registered organisation interested in joining the competition? For further information on how to apply please contact your national Competent Body. Due date for the selection of national EMAS Awards nominees is 15 September 2011.
EMAS Awards winners from 2010
May 2011
First shopping centre management company in the world to qualify for EMAS registration
Multi Mall Management Portugal (MMMP) joined EMAS in 2011 in an effort to strengthen its approach to sustainability. The scheme was initiated in Almada Forum, which is managed by MMMP.
With about 78,815 square meters, Almada Forum is one of the largest shopping centres in Portugal. In 2004 it was judged, by the International Council of Shopping Centers, to be the “Best Shopping Center of the World”. After having obtained ISO 14001 in 2006, registering with EMAS was the next logical step for the company in its quest for excellence. In addition to saving significantly on resources and money, MMMP chose EMAS to provide evidence of its ambitious environmental protection approach to its customers and consumers. António Matias Lopes, Multi Mall Management Director, Southern Europe stated:
“It’s with great pride and satisfaction that we see our sustainability work recognized in this extraordinary way with a certification that represents excellence in environmental management. For Multi Mall Management to have registered with EMAS and used it in the Almada Forum combines, in our project, credibility, excellence and transparency.”
Shopping centres need to take into account a wide range of environmental matters. Key ones at the Almada Forum include energy and water consumption, carbon dioxide emissions stemming from transportation of goods to the shopping centre and packaging waste generated from the goods offered by the shops.
Reducing indirect environmental aspects caused by stakeholders such as tenants, suppliers and visitors is of key importance for MMMP. The company seeks to influence the behaviour of stakeholders e.g. by distributing a “Manual of Good Practice for External Companies”, which outlines environmental standards to be adhered to with regard to waste minimisation/recycling, use of energy and water and other environmental aspects. Additionally, a “Guide to Good Environmental Practices”, aimed at visitors and tenants, includes recommendations about responsible environmental behaviour.
Almada Forum
Source: MMMP, 2011
March 2011
Schneider Writing Instruments wins European Office Products Award in “Corporate Social Responsibility”
The prize, awarded by the British magazine OPI (Office Products International), acknowledges the company's continuous efforts to minimise the environmental impact of its (production) processes and recognizes that Schneider is leading to create the world’s most eco-friendly pens. EMAS plays a vital role in Schneider’s approach to sustainability.
Schneider has pioneered the use of sustainable production methods tocreate eco-friendly pens and
has held EMAS accreditation since 1998. It is still the only pen manufacturer to hold this registration. Through EMAS, Schneider has undertaken many measures to reduce the environmental impact of its manufacturing process. These include implementing recycling processes, using electricity solely from renewable sources, restricting materials to environmental friendly ones such as polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and designing innovative technology that reduces waste and emissions. Consequently, Schneider's writing products are inherently eco-friendly, designed to be refillable and recyclable. Hence Schneider is a leader in both environmentally-friendly processes and products. The commitment to sustainability and social responsibility requires continuously scrutinising its environmental performance and its impact on the wider community. OPI praised Schneider for its commitment:
Schneider Writing Instruments is a leading manufacturer in this field with its headquarters in Schramberg-Tennenbronn (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) and two sites in the German cities of Wernigerode and Weilheim. Founded in 1938, the business is still family-owned and employs about 500 people. Schneider distributes a range of approximately 200 products in over 100 countries.
Further information on the company is available at http://www.schneiderpen.com/
Frank Groß (right), Managing Director of Schneider Schreibgeräte accepted the "European Social Responsibility Award 2011" from Christian Lang of OTTO Office.
Managing Urban Europe – the CHAMP project supports local and regional authorities’ responses to climate change
Governments all across Europe agree that ambitious steps need to be taken in order to mitigate climate change. Local and regional authorities play a crucial role in adopting specific measures to ensure that overall policy goals are achieved. Given that climate change is a broad topic, the CHAMP project helps local and regional authorities in several European countries plan Integrated Management Systems (IMS). Being registered with EMAS is an ideal starting point for implementing an IMS for mitigating climate change and adaptation measures.
Climate change is a cross-sectoral issue and cannot be dealt with only in the environmental department of a local or regional authority. Hence, the topic needs to be managed in an integrated way, involving all relevant stakeholders, integrating existing strategies and action programs. However, local and regional authorities often lack the resources to address environmental topics in this manner.
The CHAMP project follows on from “Managing Urban Europe – 25“ (2005-2008) in which a consortium, together with representatives from 25 cities, developed an IMS for urban sustainability. In the CHAMP project, this IMS is applied to climate change mitigation and adaptation. One of CHAMP’s main aims is to develop training modules and implement capacity development activities in four European countries. So far, over 40 local authorities have been trained to implement IMS for climate change work. Through CHAMP, local and regional authorities are able to learn and share valuable knowledge and expertise on how to make use of systematic environmental protection approaches. This capacity building leads to reduced costs of action and performance improvements that individual authorities cannot achieve by themselves.
EMAS plays a vital role in the CHAMP initiative. The premium environmental management system is seen as a suitable basis for an IMS that deals with climate change. In fact, various local and regional authorities participating in CHAMP are EMAS registered and therefore reap the benefits of the scheme. For example, the German city of Überlingen uses EMAS to improve its ability to integrate environmental aspects into its communal urban land use planning. The British city of Leeds uses EMAS as an instrument to further improve its environmental performance by setting and monitoring environmental performance targets. In Leeds, EMAS is also connected to various other plans and strategies on the basis of the IMS guidelines.
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In order to promote EMAS and to disseminate “good practice” approaches, several workshops have already taken place through the CHAMP initiative. For example, a workshop, organised by the Italian CHAMP partners in Bologna, gave insights into the latest revision of the scheme (EMAS III) and provided the opportunity to share practical implementation tips and strengthen the links between the CHAMP integrated management system and the EMAS scheme.
Further information on CHAMP is available at: http://www.localmanagement.eu
The partners of the CHAMP project are networks and organisations, working with sustainability issues and local authorities from four EU countries, namely the Union of the Baltic Cities and the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities from Finland; ICLEI and the Lake Constance Foundation from Germany; Ambiente Italia and Coordinamento Agende 21 Locali Italiane from Italy and the Lake Balaton Development Coordination Agency from Hungary.
The United Nations declare 2011 as the International Year of Forests
The General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) declared 2011 to be the International Year of Forests in order to draw extra attention to sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests. EMAS is a valuable instrument, which can help registered organisations protect forests by reducing their paper consumption and improving procurement processes.
The relation between humans and global forests is highly interdependent. Forests provide crucial products on which people all around the world depend. According to the UN, global forests provide a livelihood for more than 1.6 billion people and are home to 300 million people worldwide. The trade in forest related products accounted for $327 billion in the year 2004. Besides the economic benefits, forests are crucial factors in the global ecosystem. They cover 31 per cent of the global land area and contain 80 per cent of all terrestrial biodiversity. Furthermore, forests currently save 1 trillion tons of carbon dioxide emissions. The loss of forests due to deforestation is responsible for 12 to 20 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.
Undoubtedly, current and future generations benefit widely from vital forest habitats. According to the UN, forests and sustainable forest management are key contributors to sustainable development, poverty eradication and the achievement of developmental goals. Hence, it is the objective of the UN to strengthen the conservation of forests by sustainable management.
By registering with EMAS organisations prove that they are aiming to promote the UN’s objective. The scheme helps organisations to measure, benchmark and continually reduce paper consumption. About 40% of all wood is processed for paper products. Paper consumption is a major cause of deforestation and yet the global demand for paper is still increasing.
On the supply side large producers of paper products, like SAPPI and UPM, are EMAS registered. On the demand side many EMAS registered organisations have set in place procedures to reduce the amount of paper used in their offices. For example, simple measures such as educating employees to be economical with paper, improving printer settings and using alternative electronic communication devices, achieve great gains. EMAS registered organisations are also encouraged to buy paper materials from sustainable sources which are indicated by labels such as those of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or the EU Ecolabel. These certify that the paper has been produced in an environmental friendly and sustainable way. Many EMAS registered companies have set improvement targets for certified paper in their procurement policies.
Further information on the International Year of Forests is available at http://www.un.org/en/events/iyof2011/
February 2011
EMAS LinkedIn Group created - Join now!
Would you like to discuss the latest EMAS topics, share experiences with other EMAS registered organisations and receive information about interesting events and documents published? Then we invite you to join the EMAS Group on LinkedIn.
The European Commission and the EMAS Helpdesk have recently launched the LinkedIn Group "EMAS: EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme" Members of the Group are able to discuss benefits of implementing EMAS, experiences in the implementation of the scheme, upcoming EMAS events and more. Also, you can start a discussion and share links with other members. You can even invite other people to join the EMAS Group - thereby, increasing the number of members in the Group, which will help EMAS grow and facilitate more discussions and ideas.
Not a member of LinkedIn? Creating a profile is free and is a great way to use social networking in your professional life. Get connected with other organisations and individuals who are using or interested in using EMAS. You are just a few clicks away from joining and getting connected. Still not sure if signing up is the right choice for you? Check out this link about how you can benefit from joining LinkedIn and being part of the EMAS Group.
Once you are logged into LinkedIn, click on "Groups" at the top of the navigation bar and choose "Groups Directory" from the drop-down bar. On the left-hand side of the screen you can search for the "EMAS: EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme" Group. When you see the EMAS Group, click on "join this group" on the right-hand side of the screen. In a matter of a few clicks, you can join the EMAS Group and be an active member in discussions and be up-to-date on all of the latest EMAS happenings.
To learn about all the features that the EMAS LinkedIn Group has to offer, get online and watch this video about getting and staying connected through LinkedIn Groups.
Should you experience problems you can always contact the EMAS Helpdesk. We are looking forward to you joining the "EMAS: EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme" Group! See you online!
New EMAS Advisory Board takes office in Germany
The multi-stakeholder forum supports the Federal Environment Ministry in the implementation and dissemination of EMAS in Germany. In February, 25 EMAS experts were appointed to form the EMAS Advisory Board in its sixth period. Dr Michael Schemmer (Bombardier) was re-elected chairman.
The EMAS Advisory Board, which is under the legal control of the Federal Environment Ministry, first took office in 1995. Its key tasks are to ensure the quality of the EMAS accreditation and supervision system in Germany. Members of the multi-stakeholder forum include industry representatives, environmental verifiers, government officials, representatives of trade unions and environmental associations.
In its recent session in Berlin, the Advisory Board discussed the topical focus for 2011 to 2013. A priority will be to embed EMAS more strongly in the current sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) debate. EMAS should be established as the core element of the environmental sustainability pillar of CSR. It needs to be emphasised that the scheme helps tackle high profile political issues such as resource efficiency, climate protection and biodiversity in a systematic and comprehensive way. Other important tasks will be to further improve the applicability of EMAS III and its outreach. Key aspects in this context include the development of additional environmental performance indicators and supporting the implementation of EMAS Global.
The new managing committee of the EMAS Advisory Board
Resource efficiency in the spotlight – European Commission launches flagship initiative
Increasing resource efficiency is one of the key priorities of the European Commission’s Europe 2020 strategy, the economic reform strategy of the European Union (EU). Through the flagship initiative for a resource-efficient Europe, the European Commission now aims to improve productivity, reduce costs and boost competitiveness.
Natural resources such as raw materials are the very foundation of our economy. However, difficulties in access to certain resources in the EU and worldwide as well as environmental degradation caused by unsustainable resource extraction and use are already critical problems. In order to achieve a more efficient use of resources, the European Commission has launched the flagship initiative for a resource-efficient Europe as part of Europe 2020 (click here for the European Commission press release). It provides a strategic framework for future actions in various policy areas and across different industry sectors in order to increase business’s certainty for investment and innovation.
Businesses will play a crucial role in making the shift towards resource-efficient, low-carbon growth in Europe. More sustainable production patterns as well as new and improved products and services are needed to achieve a smarter use of resources. Yet does an ambitious approach towards resource efficiency pay off financially for companies?
For EMAS registered companies, it does! Various examples from companies (and other organisations) all across Europe have shown that EMAS is perfectly equipped to help increase the resource efficiency of registered companies. The scheme provides a systematic, strategic and practical management approach to reducing both the consumption of resources, such as raw materials, water or energy, and operating costs. In fact, the financial benefit cited most frequently by respondents of a study on EMAS benefits and costs was linked to reductions in energy use and more efficient resource use. The study found evidence that annual energy savings alone exceeded the annual costs of maintaining EMAS.
Various ‘good practice’ examples of EMAS registered companies approaching resource efficiency in a systematic manner were presented at last year’s EMAS conference. More information is available on this website.
January 2011
First company stepping up from Ekoscan to EMAS
Numerous environmental management systems (EMS) exist in the EU which have been adopted by both private and public organisations. The Basque company IkanKronitek used its previous work under the Ekoscan standard to step up to EMAS.
IkanKronitek, specialising in hard chrome coatings and the grinding and lapping of parts, started its systematic approach to environmental management by obtaining Ekoscan certification in 2006. Ekoscan was developed as an EMS in 1998 by the Basque public organisation Ihobe, which supports the Basque Government in environmental protection measures. Ekoscan became a certifiable standard in 2004, and focuses mainly on companies in the Basque Region in Spain. The total number of Ekoscan certifications is 236 (as of January 2011).
With Ekoscan, IkanKronitek has already improved its environmental performance. For example, since obtaining Ekoscan certification the company has reduced its raw material consumption by around 30 tons/year. Between 2004 and 2009, it reduced yearly water consumption from 13,000 m3 to 2,248 m3.
In December 2010, IkanKronitek registered to EMAS (registration number: ES-EU-000054). The company decided to upgrade to EMAS mainly because it aims to use the EMAS environmental statement to strengthen external communication with stakeholders. The validated EMAS environmental statement ensures the credibility of published information on the company’s environmental performance. Furthermore, IkanKronitek sought EMAS registration since the scheme is internationally recognised as the premium environmental management tool. This reflects the company’s high-quality approach towards environmental management.
Two other companies currently seek to step up from Ekoscan to EMAS. In fact, Ekoscan is a valuable stepping-stone to EMAS since certification under Ekoscan means that many important steps towards EMAS registration have already been taken. For example, under Ekoscan the top management is required to commit to the improvement of its company’s environmental performance and to define roles and responsibilities for environmental management in the company. Additionally, companies seeking Ekoscan certification need to provide proof of compliance with relevant legal requirements. Ekoscan certified companies like IkanKronitek, which fully comply with the relevant legal requirements, obtain the Ekoscan Plus certificate.
Additional steps to be taken in order to step up from Ekoscan to EMAS lie, for example, in the areas of external recognition and communication. All requirements with regard to the independent nature of EMAS registration need to be met, which significantly ensures the credibility and reliability of the scheme. Also, an environmental statement needs to be developed in order to communicate the environmental performance to external (and internal) stakeholders in a transparent manner.
The official press release and further information on Ekoscan are available at: http://www.ihobe.net
Practical information on how to step up from an EMS to EMAS can be found in a European Commission study available here.
Enhancing transparency through social media – Anvil Knitwear launches Shirt Scan™, a free smart-phone app tool
Caterina Conti, Executive Vice President of the US-based apparel company Anvil Knitwear with an office in Germany, was one of the speakers at the international EMAS conference last November in Brussels (Belgium), where she talked about her company’s approach to environmental protection. Now her company is launching Shirt Scan™, a free smartphone app designed to deliver relevant information to consumers.
Anvil Knitwear is a century-old leading apparel brand manufacturing sportswear and accessories. It currently employs around 5000 people worldwide. The company was ranked 6th largest organic program in the world by the Organic Exchange (a non-profit organisation committed to expanding organic agriculture) for two years.
Shirt Scan™, launched by Anvil Knitwear in December 2010, delivers multimedia content such as articles, pictures and videos through a code system and lets consumers trace the origins of products. The application can be downloaded for free with mobile technology. A user can then scan a t-shirt with a specific code and unlock the content behind that shirt.
As stakeholders have become increasingly adept at holding companies to account for the impacts of their business activities on the environment, the application could be used to inform consumers as to how environmental considerations are integrated in the production process of certain products. According to Ms. Conti, in the future through Shirt Scan™ consumers could be informed about EMAS and its contribution to an environmentally sustainable production process at the site where the product is produced. By doing so, EMAS as the premium environmental management tool could be a vital and distinctive element in business-to-consumer communication.
Anvil Knitwear is currently executing EMAS projects at two of its international sites in order to both assess the benefits of the scheme and carry out its implementation steps. Anvil Knitwear plans to implement EMAS for its sales & distribution facility in Germany, in order to identify energy savings potential within the facility and to reduce fuel consumption for deliveries. The company also plans to implement EMAS at its textile plant in Honduras (and officially register the site to the scheme when procedures for EMAS Global are set in place). EMAS will complement the pre-existing environmental management systems and better automate the plant’s reporting on environmental Key Performance Indicators. Generally, EMAS will affirm the company’s commitment to transparency and third party verification. Anvil believes the process will take approximately 12 months.
Updates will be posted on Anvil’s web-based CSR Report available on anvilcsr.com.
More information about the Shirt Scan™ application and Anvil’s approach to environmental management is available here.
December 2010
Commission Announces Winners of Environmental Management Awards
Following the EMAS Conference, the 2010 EMAS Awards winners were announced in the beautiful Belgian Comic Strip Center in Brussels. Six organisations representing different categories won the most prestigious environmental management award for excellence in increasing resource efficiency. This year a record of 42 organisations from 15 European countries were nominated. The following winners in the six different categories were selected by an independent jury of environmental experts:
- Micro organisation: Soc. Coop. Dog Park a r.l (Italy)
- Small organisation: Ecoprint AS (Estonia)
- Medium organisation: Oxfam-Solidarité, (Belgium)
- Large organisation: Mahou S. A. (Spain)
- Public administration: Small: Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde (Germany)
- Large: Sandwell Homes (United Kingdom)
Congratulations to all winners and all nominees!
Further information on the 2010 EMAS Awards is available here
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/emasawards/index.htm
European Patent Office EMAS registered
With its strategic and systematic approach towards environmental management, EMAS helps organisations take a proactive approach to environmental challenges. This applies not only to private but also to public organisations. Benefits of EMAS registration include costs savings through increased resource efficiency. Additionally, EMAS registered public organisations can set a positive example for other public and private organisations. Thus, they play a vital role in promoting environmental consciousness.
Four sites of the European Patent Office (EPO) in Munich (Germany), The Hague (The Netherlands), Berlin (Germany) and Vienna (Austria) became EMAS registered in 2010. The EPO provides a uniform application procedure for individual inventors and companies seeking patent protection in up to 40 European countries.
Dr. Norbert Röttgen, German Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, congratulated the EPO on its decision to introduce EMAS. He emphasised that the EPO ‘will be taking part in a system that links the environmentally necessary with the economically successful and at the same time makes a valuable contribution to climate protection’.
In order to continuously improve its environmental performance, the EPO has established concrete environmental targets to reduce energy and water consumption, air travel, paper usage and waste.
The press release on which this article is based on can be found at: http://www.epo.org/topics/news/2010/20101129.html
Further information on the EPO’s environmental management approach can be found at: http://www.epo.org/about-us/office/environment.html
EMAS introduced to companies in Trinidad and Tobago
EMAS has been introduced to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, with the objective of improving the environmental performance and competitiveness of local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The Delegation of the European Union, in collaboration with JARIC Environment, Safety and Health Services, brought together a group of 12 SMEs in a workshop to learn about EMAS and the key steps in implementing the premium benchmark for environmental performance. The participating SMEs were familiarised with the EMAS Easy methodology, which has proven to be a valuable way for small and micro-organisations to implement EMAS in a short and manageable time frame. The workshop opens the door to the application of the system for the first time into Trinidad and Tobago.
The original article on which this article is based on can be found at: http://guardian.co.tt/beta/news/2010/12/16/local-companies-must-go-green
Increase biodiversity in urban areas - the 'European Capital of Nature and Biodiversity' awards
In 2008, more than half of the world’s population lived in cities. The number and size of cities continually grows. At the same time, biodiversity is disappearing at an unprecedented rate. Successful biodiversity conservation must thus involve city dwellers. This involves a two step approach. Firstly, biodiversity (in cities) needs to be measured because 'you can't manage what you can't measure'. Secondly, cities must be encouraged to engage themselves in biodiversity protection.
To tackle the first step the Singapore Index on Cities' Biodiversity was developed. This was done by the International Convention on Biodiversity and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Index is a self-assessment tool to help evaluate and benchmark the health of biodiversity in cities. Via a ‘report card’ scoring system cities can assess themselves with points allocated to 23 indicators for an overall quantitative score. This score will help cities make better decisions to prioritise conservation initiatives and evaluate their progress in reducing the rate of biodiversity loss. The Index has been tested by over 30 cities around the world.
For the second step the ‘European Capital of Nature and Biodiversity’ award was established. The award encourages local authorities to engage in biodiversity protection. The competition was inaugurated in 2010, the UN International Year of Biodiversity. Local authorities who show an outstanding commitment to biodiversity receive the awards, which are part of the ‘European Capitals of Biodiversity’ project, supported by the European LIFE-Programme for three years (2009–2011). The key objective of the project, which is headed by Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V. (Germany), is to enhance the protection of nature and biodiversity in urban areas by local authorities in Europe.
More than 300 municipalities from Spain, France, Hungary, Slovakia and Germany presented their entries during the first round of the awards in 2010. Four cities have won the prestigious award for their commitment to protecting and preserving biodiversity: El Real Sitio de San Illdefonso in Spain, Grande Synthe in France, Siófok in Hungary, Želiezovce in Slovakia and Radolfzell in Germany. Generally, local administrations have many opportunities to protect or increase urban biodiversity, ranging from land use planning (e.g. green open spaces and biodiversity corridors) and the sensitization of citizens to green public procurement.
The 2011 awards are under preparation. Further information can be found at: www.capital-biodiversity.eu
EMAS and the energy management standard EN 16001
Energy management systems are valuable instruments for organisations of all types and sizes for continuously and systematically increasing energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and cutting costs.
Source: based on Inge Pierre
In 2009, ‘EN 16001 Energy management systems – Requirements with guidance for use’ was published by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN). The energy management standard EN 16001 specifies requirements to enable organisations to develop and implement an energy management system. EN 16001 helps organisations to adopt a policy, identify significant areas of energy consumption and target reductions. The energy management standard represents the latest best practice in energy management and is based on existing national standards and initiatives to improve energy efficiency. It can be applied independently or integrated with other management systems.
Since EMAS already includes provisions on energy management, the scheme is largely compatible with EN 16001. Only a few additional steps are necessary for EMAS registered organisations to meet the requirements of EN 16001. It also works the other way around: organisations already using EN 16001 are in a good starting position to achieve EMAS registration. Support programmes for energy management are available in different EU Member States.
A presentation on the links between EMAS and Energy Management was given at the EMAS Conference on 25 November. The presentation is available here. Further information on EN 16001 and its relation to EMAS will be available on this website soon.
EMAS in the Spotlight at Conference and Awards on 25 November 2010
On the 25th of November 2010 Brussels was the EMAS capital of Europe for one day!
At the ‘International Conference on EMAS: Towards a Resource Efficient Economy’, high-profile speakers discussed the latest developments in environmental management with around 250 participants. They also explored how EMAS can support organisations in improving their environmental and financial performance. The event, was jointly organised by the European Commission, DG Environment, the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the Be-Smarter project and took place in the Paul-Henri Spaak building of the European Parliament.. In his welcome speech, the Director-General of DG Environment, Mr. Karl Falkenberg, emphasised the importance of EMAS in promoting sustainable production patterns.
Participants were able to choose between the following parallel sessions:
Session 1: Capacity building for EMAS Easy & EMAS cluster applications
Session 2: EMAS and resource efficiency and energy efficiency issues
Side event on biodiversity indicators and EMAS
Session 3: Key Performance Indicators and sectoral applications for EMAS
Session 4: EMAS Global
There was broad agreement among speakers and participants that EMAS is an important instrument to improve an organisation’s environmental and financial performance. The various case studies revealed that a business case for EMAS can be made by all types of organisations: from small and medium-sized organisations to multinational corporations and public bodies.
Following the EMAS Conference, the 2010 EMAS Award ceremony took place in the beautiful Belgian Comic Strip Center in Brussels on the evening of 25 November. In all six categories one winner was awarded with the most prestigious environmental management award for excellence in increasing resource efficiency. This year a record of 42 organisations from 15 European countries were nominated.
Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik said: "I congratulate the six winners – and all the nominees – on their commitment to improving the environment. They have shown that joining the EMAS scheme makes good business sense; limiting their environmental impact not only reduces emissions and waste but also saves energy – and money."
A comprehensive summary of the EMAS Conference as well as all presentations (as PDFs) are available here. Further information on the 2010 EMAS Awards is available here.
EMAS Helpdesk Participates at Poleko Fair in Poznan, Poland
From 23 to 26 November 2010 the EMAS Helpdesk participated at the 22nd Poleko fair in Poznan, Poland. Poleko is the largest trade fair in Central and Eastern Europe dedicated to ecology. The fair is intended for professionals and businesses in the field of environmental protection and sustainability. It has a wide thematic scope, from waste, sewerage and water to renewable sources of energy and recycling to council and low-energy housing. This year’s Poleko fair attracted over 20,000 visitors from Poland and abroad. 700 companies and institutions from more than 20 countries were represented. Visitors and participants were able to gain insight into the most cost-effective and state-of-the-art environmental solutions. This thematic scope made Poleko the perfect place to present EMAS as the premium benchmark for environmental management which supports organisations in improving their environmental performance.
The Helpdesk used the Poleko fair to present the key elements of EMAS III and informed visitors about the strengths of the scheme. Informational materials such as case studies, fact sheets and newsletters were distributed to visitors.
The EMAS Helpdesk shared a stand with the EU Ecolabel, ECAP and GPP Helpdesks, enabling all these valuable instruments for environmental protection to be jointly presented at the event. On average, 60-80 visitors, including company representatives, environmental consultants, and university professors and students, visited the Helpdesk stand each day.
Further information on the Poleko fair is available at: http://poleko.mtp.pl/en/
October 2010
Programme for EMAS Conference Now Available Online!
Interested persons are invited to the “International Conference on EMAS: Towards a resource efficient economy” on 25 November 2010 in conjunction with the EU BE-SMARTER project. The conference is jointly organised by the European Commission, DG Environment and the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and will take place at the Paul-Henri Spaak building of the European Parliament. The Conference will address the key sustainability issues of resource and energy efficiency and other important aspects of environmental management.
View the conference programme.
Register online before 10 November 2010 to attend the conference.
If you are interested in attending the EMAS Awards Ceremony in the evening after the conference, you can register here: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/emasawards/registration_fee.htm
September 2010
EMAS and ECAP - in Support of SME's
There are approximately 23 million small and medium-sized (SMEs) in the EU, which together account for 99 per cent of all enterprises and provide around 75 million jobs. Clearly, SMEs are the backbone of EU Member States’ economies. SMEs not only contribute to economic growth, social cohesion and regional and rural development; collectively, they also have a significant impact on the environment through their production activities, products and services.
Compliance with relevant environmental regulatory requirements is the first practical step for SMEs towards a proactive approach to environmental protection. In 2007, the European Commission launched the ‘Environmental Compliance Assistance Programme’ (ECAP) to support SMEs with regard to their compliance with a wide set of environmental legislation. ECAP is a set of measures designed to reduce the burden of compliance and to help SMEs integrate environmental concerns into their core activities. Measures include actions which aim to minimise the administrative burden on SMEs, as well as the dissemination of information on funding opportunities available to help SMEs comply with environmental legislation, the support of regional and national networks and providing targeted information through the tools available on the ECAP website.
ECAP also actively promotes the uptake of EMAS in order to support SMEs in integrating environmental concerns into their core business activities in a coherent and cost-effective way. If an organisation seeks EMAS registration and the permission to use the official EMAS logo, it must be fully compliant with relevant environmental legislation. However, EMAS as the premium benchmark for environmental management goes beyond legal compliance in that it is designed for organisations willing to continuously improve their environmental performance on a voluntary basis. With around 80 per cent of registered organisations being SMEs, the scheme particularly focuses on smaller organisations. Accordingly, the latest revision, EMAS III, makes it easier for SMEs to register to the scheme. For example, revised audit cycles have been introduced to ease administrative and financial burdens on small organisations.
Both EMAS and ECAP will be presented together at the Poleko International Trade Fair of Environmental Protection in Poznan, Poland, on 23 November 2010.
Further information on ECAP is available at: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/sme/index_en.htm
Further information on the Poleko Fair is available at: http://poleko.mtp.pl/en/
September 2010
Promoting Sustainable Mobility through EMAS
‘
Travel Smarter, Live Better’ – the motto of the 2010 European Mobility Week, which took place from 16 to 22 September in almost 2100 European cities – emphasised that mobility and health are interrelated issues. This annual event aims at sensibilising and encouraging European citizens to make use of public transport, cycling and walking. European cities are encouraged to provide alternative modes of transport and related infrastructure.
The increased amount of motor vehicles, particularly in cities, has resulted in air pollution, noise and congestion. Promoting sustainable ways of commuting and travelling thus not only helps to overcome the negative effects caused by these issues, but sustainable modes of transport, particularly cycling and walking, additionally promote daily physical activity, thus improving citizens’ health and well-being.
The European Parliament actively promotes sustainable mobility as part of its EMAS Action Plan for 2009-2011. The Action Plan outlines actions to be taken by the European Parliament and its Members and employees to reduce the Parliament’s carbon footprint. A main goal of the Action Plan is to reduce mobility/transport carbon emissions per equivalent employee by 10% by 2020. In order to achieve this goal, various measures are being introduced. For example, order information on carbon emissions is provided for every staff mission. Additionally, the EMAS Action Plan suggests the promotion of public transport and buses for European Parliament transportation needs and the introduction of incentives for low-emission cars for the European Parliament fleet.
Further information on the European Mobility Week is available at: http://www.mobilityweek.eu/
Further information on the European Parliament EMAS Action Plan is available at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/pdf/emas/action_plan_2009-2011-EN.pdf
August 2010
Most Environmentally Friendly Private Hotel in the World is EMAS Registered
EMAS registered since 2006, the privately-owned Best Western Premier Hotel Victoria takes environmental protection seriously. The 4-star hotel with 66 rooms, established in 1875, is located near the Black Forest in the centre of Freiburg, Germany. Various prestigious awards have recognised the hotel’s ambitious approach towards environmental management:
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“Umweltpreis 2008” from the State of Baden-Württemberg awarded for excellent performance in environmental protection and sustainability
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Energy Globe Award 2001 awarded for the world’s best projects in the area of energy efficiency and renewable energy
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IH&RA Environmental Award 2000 awarded for being the most environmentally friendly private hotel in the world and 2004 for being the most environmentally friendly chain-affiliated hotel in the world
Hotel Victoria, which has been a zero-emission hotel since 2002, set up various measures to improve its environmental performance. The hotel works towards progressive improvement of its operations and continuously reviews its set environmental goals. Committed employees play an active role in the environmental protection activities of Hotel Victoria. 
For example, the hotel replaced oil heating with modern wood pellet heaters with flue gas treatment equipment. Furthermore, a thermal solar energy plant supports the production of warm water. On sunny days, the required amount of heat for washing and showering is thus produced completely by the solar plant.
The solar energy plant on the energy roof garden of the hotel produces 21,000 kilowatt hours of solar energy every year. Four wind turbines contribute an additional 2 kW of power. On this basis, almost all hotel rooms can be supplied with electricity.
When purchasing electronic equipment such as TVs or household appliances, the hotel only considers devices with a minimal current consumption. The hotel’s entire current consumption is controlled by a computer-based energy management system. Continuous monitoring thus insures the control of consumption and costs.
Hotel Victoria also only uses cleaning supplies that are environmentally friendly and perfectly adapted to the local water hardness and consistency in Freiburg.
Further information on Hotel Victoria and its approach towards environmental protection is available at: www.hotel-victoria.de
August 2010
EMAS Day Celebrated in Barcelona
Every 5th of June, the United Nations use the day to stimulate worldwide awareness of environmental issues and to encourage political action. The Catalan EMAS Club celebrated this special day for the second consecutive year in 2010 in Barcelona to promote EMAS and good environmental practices as well as to increase the visibility and knowledge of the scheme among citizens.
The EMAS Club in Catalonia, with the support of the Town Council of Barcelona and the Department of Environment and Housing of the “Generalitat de Cataluña”, held open air activities at the “Parc de la Ciutadella”, one of the main parks in Barcelona. The sunny summer day allowed the club to carry out games, concerts, story telling, exhibitions and many other activities related to the environment. Families and children of different ages comprised the targeted public.
EMAS registered organisations from different sectors actively participated in the organisation and development of the event and thanks to them the event was a success.
For further information, please contact: Maria Passalacqua ([34+] 637160579) or Gregori Reyes ([34+] 691505926 or [34+] 933188058). Contact by e-mail: info@clubemas.cat.
August 2010
EMAS Registered Solutia UK Ltd. Wins Chemical Industry Awards 2010
The winners of the 2010 Chemical Industry Awards were announced on 24 June at St. George’s Hall in Liverpool. Solutia won the Responsible Care Award, which is granted to a company or site that has excelled in health and safety matters. 
Solutia is a chemical manufacturing operation, with five production plants using organic and/or inorganic processes located on 126 hectares in Newport in South Wales. The company, which gained its first EMAS registration in 1997, has its headquarters in the United States. Solutia Newport is one of the 60 locations across 5 continents.
Responsible Care is embedded throughout all policy and site management systems as well as the culture at Solutia. The policy is implemented through a frequently audited tiered system of Works Procedures encompassing the whole workforce. During 2009, all staff and contractors undertook behavioural safety, risk assessment and safety observation training.
Furthermore, EMAS is an important element of the company’s health and safety approach, as it helps to limit the effects produced from its manufacture on the environment. Additionally, EMAS is part of the company’s remediation and preservation approach, since activities prior to Solutia’s use of the location left a legacy of soil contamination. Although an assessment concluded that the site was stable and did not pose a threat to human health or the environment, a risk management strategy was developed. EMAS is an important element of this strategy.
Solutia has an excellent reputation with the local community earned through a robust and regular communication process. With the aim of becoming carbon neutral, Solutia is also gaining a reputation for being a leading “green” company in South Wales, having constructed a small wind farm and been approached by a green waste company to construct a plant producing energy from waste.
Further information on the Chemical Industry Awards 2010 is available at: http://www.ciaawards.co.uk
For more on Solutia, please visit: http://www.solutia.com/en/Default.aspx
The Solutia Newport 2009 Environmental Statement is available at: http://www.solutia.com/pdf/newport_annual_2009.pdf
Study identifies EMAS as a way to enhance competitive position of organisations
July 2010
A recent study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production indicated that voluntary environmental norms, such as EMAS, are better for industry. In contrast to traditional command-and-control legislation, voluntary norms allow greater flexibility and freedom, which encourages proactive environmental management. 
The study shows that the influence of environmental regulation stemming from command-and-control legislation on managerial perception and proactive environmental management is not significant. However, the effects of environmental regulation stemming from voluntary norms, like EMAS, on managerial perception and proactive environmental management are positive.
Moreover, according to the study, investment in proactive environmental management contributes to increasing the competitiveness of the firm.
Source: López-Gamero, M.D., Molina-Azorín, J.F. & Claver-Cortés, E. (2010). The potential of environmental regulation to change managerial perception, environmental management, competitiveness and financial performance. Journal of Cleaner Production. 18: 963-974.
Read more: DG Environment News Alert Service
Download the study from www.sciencedirect.com
EMAS and Procurement – Advantages for registered organisations
July 2010
It is becoming increasingly important for organisations to demonstrate the commitment to improve their environmental performance when they participate in public and private tenders. EMAS is widely acknowledged as the premium benchmark for excellent environmental management and enhanced performance.
In fact, the consideration of environmental management systems such as EMAS as a criterion in tenders is practiced successfully: Based on information from the European TED (Tenders Electronic Daily), 1,214 tenders in European Union Member States and Croatia, Switzerland and Norway included EMAS as a criterion in 2009. Countries with the highest numbers of tenders including EMAS-related criteria were United Kingdom and France with 353, respectively 313 tenders.
The office of the German EMAS Advisory Board has published a new EMAS information leaflet focusing on the relation between EMAS and procurement.
The leaflet provides information about green public and private procurement and the advantages that EMAS-registered organisations have when they participate in a tender. Currently the leaflet is only available in German, but it will be published in English soon.
Furthermore, the internet service of the German EMAS Advisory Board includes a regularly updated summary of tenders including the criterion ‘EMAS’ from the European TED which can be of relevance for all EMAS-registered organisations.
Further information is available at: http://www.emas.de/aktuelles/ausschreibungen-tenders/
Belgium aims at a sustainable presidency
July 2010
Belgium aims to lead by example during its EU presidency and has pledged to minimise the environmental impact of the numerous meetings and summits planned over the next six months.
Prime Minister Yves Leterme, State Secretary for European Affairs Olivier Chastel and Climate and Energy Minister Paul Magnette have signed a 'Charter for a Sustainable Presidency', which provides a good practice guide for the organisation of the Presidency events and a check-list featuring a carbon footprint calculator.
Belgium follows the example of previous presidencies such as France, Germany, and Austria, which have taken into account the environmental impact of their stint at the EU helm.
Today 7 of the 18 Belgian federal ministries and 4 federal agencies are EMAS-registered; the others are well on their way, as they are already applying good housekeeping practices and respect the 'Charter for a Sustainable Presidency'.
Belgium aims to identify the biggest contributors to emissions during its presidency and list possible recommendations to reduce emissions over the next six months. This is particularly important given the fact that major international meetings have a substantial impact on the environment. Last year’s UN climate summit in Copenhagen produced 46,200 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to the emissions attributed to 3,000 Belgians in an entire year.
An international conference on ‘EMAS: Towards a Resource Efficient Economy’ will be organised during the Belgian Presidency of the European Council on 25 November 2010. This conference will also respect the 'Charter for a Sustainable Presidency'.
The original article is available at: http://www.euractiv.com/en/sustainability/belgium-pledges-sustainable-eu-presidency-news-495568
Official website of the Belgian Presidency of the European Council: http://www.eutrio.be/
Further information on the 'Guidelines for a Sustainable Presidency' is available at: http://www.sustainablepresidencyevents.be
Fourth EMAS Roundtable in Hungary discussed EMAS III
June 2010
The fourth EMAS Roundtable took place in Balatonszárszó, near Lake Balaton, Hungary on 10 June 2010. This year’s event was organised by the EMAS-registered Lake Balaton Development Coordination Agency within its CHAMP Project. Almost all organisations from the national EMAS register took part in the event, along with several potential EMAS-registered organisations.
Current topics included (inter alia) the new features of EMAS III, its harmonisation with national law, the Ministry for Rural Development’s plans to introduce legal incentives and experiences of registered organisations and EMAS verifiers.
The EMAS Roundtable was originally established by Audi Hungaria Motor Ltd. in 2007 with the aim of seating all stakeholders of EMAS around one table. These include the Ministry for Rural Development (former Ministry for Environment, Nature and Water) who represents Hungary in the EMAS Art. 49 Committee, the National Inspectorate for Environment, Nature and Water as the Hungarian Competent Body, the Hungarian National Accreditation Body, EMAS verifiers and EMAS-registered organisations in Hungary.
The participants agreed that the event had turned out to be very successful, and the hosts confirmed that their intention to organise the fifth EMAS Roundtable. So the tradition of the EMAS Roundtable will live on.
Further information is available at: http://emas.kvvm.hu.
International Conference on EMAS: Towards a resource efficient economy
June 2010
The European Commission, DG Environment and the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union invite you to attend the 2010 ‘International Conference on EMAS: Towards a resource efficient economy’, in conjunction with the EU BE-SMARTER project. The one-day event will take place on 25 November 2010 at the Centre Albert Borschette in Brussels, Belgium. 
After an introductory plenary session attendants will be offered a choice between two parallel workshops both in the morning and in the afternoon. The workshops focus on:
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Capacity building for EMASEasy and EMAS cluster applications,
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EMAS and resource efficiency and energy efficiency issues,
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Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and sectoral applications of EMAS, and
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EMAS Global.
Simultaneous translation will be available in FR-DE-IT-SP-EN-NL for the plenary session.
Registrations are now open!
Please register online before 10 November 2010 at the folowing link Registration Form.
For further information please refer to the EMAS Conference 2010 website or contact the EMAS Helpdesk: emas@biois.com or +33 1 53 90 11 75.
Fourth European EMS Forum took place in Brussels
June 2010
The Fourth European EMS Forum 2010 took place in Brussels on 5 May. The event, which focused on various issues related to EMAS, was organised by the German Association for Environmental Professionals (VNU) on behalf of the EMS Expert Group of the European Federation of Associations of Environmental Professionals (EFAEP).
Participants came from eight European countries and included representatives from the European Commission, environmental managers, environmental auditors and verifiers, government officials and representatives from civil society organisations.
Gilles Vincent, Deputy Head of Unit ‘Environment and Industry’, Directorate-General for the Environment, European Commission spoke on the role and development of the latest EMAS revision (EMAS III). Participants discussed the organisational and verifying aspects of ‘EMAS Global’, which make EMAS validation possible for organisations and sites located outside the EU and the EEA. The future development of ISO 14001 and its relation to EMAS was also presented at the event. It was acknowledged that EMAS III not only fulfils the requirements of ISO 14001 but goes beyond them. Finally, participants emphasised the important role of environmental management systems (EMS) in adapting to climate change and the utilisation of EMS as an instrument for both a greenhouse gas-reduction strategy and the Emission Trading System (ETS).
A full report on the event authored by VNU on behalf of the EMS Expert Group of EFAEP is available for download at the folowing links:
English version
German version
Spain’s Permanent Representations in Brussels and Consulate General the first to receive EMAS certification for environmental management of their buildings
May 2010
On behalf of the Government of Spain, the Spanish Minister for the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs, Elena Espinosa, received the EMAS Certificate at an award ceremony in Brussels on 17 May.
The ‘Spain Complex’ comprises the buildings of the Permanent Representation of Spain to the EU, the Permanent Representation of Spain to the Council of the Western European Union and the Consulate General of Spain in Belgium.
Minister Espinosa emphasised that it is essential for public authorities and European institutions to set a good example in a Europe where environmental issues are increasingly important. Obtaining EMAS registration is a good case in question.
Among the improvements made to the ‘Spain Complex’ in order to receive EMAS certification are the 25 percent reduction in electricity consumption per person in the year 2008-2009, the establishment of a recycling system for all waste from the three buildings in the Complex, the establishment of a common staff transport system to the Council and the use of ‘green’ electricity throughout the Complex.
The official press release from the Spanish Government is available at: Diplomatic Mission Brussels.
A video with statements from Minister Espinosa during the official presentation of the EMAS Certificate is available at: Minister Espinosa video .
'Resource efficiency' theme for the 2010 European EMAS Awards
May 2010
The European Commission, Environment Directorate General, is pleased to announce the 2010 European EMAS Awards. The award ceremony will take place in Brussels on 25 November 2010.
Consuming fewer raw materials and other resources, and minimising waste and 
pollution, are important elements of the environmental performance of EMAS-registered organisations. The EMAS Awards will thus be recognising achievements in these areas.
Resource efficiency means reducing the ratio of materials and resources used in manufacturing processes or services to the associated outputs with an environmental impact. The use of fewer raw materials, the reduction in waste generation, the use of reusable or recyclable materials, and the production of more recyclable goods can help organisations improve their environmental performance and achieve continuous improvement in EMAS.
Participation in the 2010 European EMAS Awards is open to all EMAS-registered organisations that are nominated by the Competent Bodies of Member States and EEA countries, either following a national EMAS Award contest or on the basis of an assessment by the Competent Body of organisations’ performance in the light of the 2010 theme for the EMAS Award. The eligibility criteria for the six categories of the EMAS Award 2010 are accordingly based on the theme of resource efficiency. Nominations of candidates must be submitted by 15 July 2010.
The Commission and the organiser of the event taking place in Brussels in November 2010 will appoint a jury consisting of experts from the private and the public sectors such as verifiers, environmental reporting experts, communications professionals, and former prize-winners. The jury will then select the European EMAS Awards winners from the national nominees.
The European EMAS Awards is the world’s most prestigious award in environmental management. It has been given to high-performing companies and local authorities since 2005. Further information on the 2010 European EMAS Awards will be published soon on this website.
Support SMEs: ECAP on-the-job pilot training project
May 2010
‘Small, clean and competitive’ – the Environmental Compliance Assistance Programme (ECAP) for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), initiated by the European Commission, facilitates SMEs’ compliance with environmental legislation and helps improve their environmental performance.
On behalf of the European Commission, BIO Intelligence Service and RSO SpA are implementing an ECAP on-the-job pilot training project to support the exchange of best practices. The pilot project involves two on-the-job training sessions, two study tours and a final conference, where reports on the activities will be presented and disseminated. 
The first ECAP on-the-job training session is scheduled for 21 June 2010 as part of the ‘EcoBusinessPlan’ initiative in Vienna, Austria. EcoBusinessPlan seeks to help enterprises generate ‘green and clean’ profits through environmental management practices. Management practices such as EMAS improve the environmental performance of registered organisations and generate significant financial benefits for them. To date, 740 enterprises have participated in the EcoBusinessPlan, implementing more than 10,000 environmental projects and activities. Through appropriate environmental management practices, these enterprises have been able to generate substantial cost savings totaling about EUR 55.7 million.
The first study tour will take place on 10 and 11 June 2010 at CONSER, a consortium of companies located in the industrial area of Prato, Italy. CONSER organises innovative centralised services such as energy and water management programmes to improve firms’ environmental (and social) performance. The study tour aims to show how SMEs are actually applying innovative measures such as CONSER.
For details and registration information visit EMAS training2010.
Opening Event of EMAS Campaign in Poland
April 2010
The opening event of the EMAS campaign, "Environmental management in the Enterprise", took place on 19 March 2010 at Lublin Castle, Poland.
Organised by the Environmental Information Centre, the event was held under the auspices of the Polish Minister of the Environment in collaboration with the General Directorate for Environmental Protection.The Environment Information Centre is a specialist agency responsible for collecting and processing environmental information relating to Poland and Central and Eastern Europe.
The main objective of the "Environmental management in the Enterprise" campaign is to disseminate information on EMAS in society generally and especially among the organisations interested in adopting the high-quality Environmental Management System (EMS). A series of nationwide conferences takes place in the first quarter of 2010, and EMAS training sessions are being held in all 16 provinces of Poland.
The campaign is supported by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.
Further information about the campaign and the event is available at: www.emas.ekoportal.pl:
Study on Guidelines for Transition from Non-Formal EMS and ISO 14001 to EMAS is now available
April 2010
In 2009, the European Commission launched a study on the analysis of different non-formal environmental management systems (EMS) and ISO 14001 in relation to EMAS. The study, carried out by BIO Intelligence Service and Adelphi Consult, is now complete.
Twenty of the most relevant EMSs have been analysed in terms of their objectives, target group, geographical scope and affinity to EMAS, among other things. In addition, the study outlines an applicable step-by-step approach to take in order to move from each EMS to EMAS, which can significantly add value to organisations.
The study provides critical information for organisations that have already implemented an EMS different than EMAS. The purpose is to encourage organisations to implement the premium standard EMAS by making use of their EMS and following the step-by-step approach. 
The study can also prove useful for Member States who are considering submitting a request as foreseen in Article 45 of the new EMAS Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 (EMAS III) for recognition of an existing EMS as equivalent to EMAS parts. Once the EMS is formally recognised as being equivalent to EMAS parts, organisations implementing that specific EMS are not obliged to carry out those parts when registering to EMAS.
The structure of the study is user-friendly: for each EMS a separate factsheet and guidelines are available. The guidelines suggest the steps to take from each EMS to EMAS. Furthermore, a summary brochure with information on all EMS is provided.
The study and its various parts are available here.
EMAS Flags Flying in Catalonia
April 2010
On 5 March 2010, various EMAS-registered organisations gathered in Barcelona, Spain to talk about the recently revised EMAS Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 (EMAS III), which came into effect on 11 January 2010. Speakers from the Unit "Environment and Industry" of the European Commission, the Spanish Accreditation Body, the Catalonian Competent Body, and Club EMAS, a private, non-profit association of EMAS-registered organisations in Catalonia introduced and explained the new elements of EMAS III and how to implement the regulation.
270 EMAS registered organisations, environmental verifiers, trade unions, administrators, and consultants participated in the EMAS workshop. The workshop ended with the delivery of EMAS flags to the participating registered organisations.
A video will be soon available at www.clubemas.cat
50th Anniversary Session of the German EMAS Advisory Board
March 2010
On 28 January 2010 the members of the German EMAS Advisory Board convened for their 50th anniversary session. The German EMAS Advisory Board is a legal committee, which was established in 1995, in order to ensure the quality of the EMAS accreditation and supervision system in Germany.
The current session provided a good opportunity to reflect on the work accomplished over the past 15 years and to set new objectives that ensure a successful future for EMAS. Future activities will particularly involve new elements of the recently revised EMAS Regulation (EMAS III), which came into effect on 11 January 2010.
In addition to the Advisory Board committee members, numerous honourable guests attended the anniversary session. Pavel Misiga, Head of Unit “Environment and Industry”, Directorate-General for the Environment, European Commission, was the keynote speaker of the session. He emphasised that EMAS is an important instrument to help control climate change. Misiga added that sustainable production is a key demand on companies in order to transform into an energy and resource efficient economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. EMAS, specifically the environmental core indicators
introduced in EMAS III, is of great
value for companies in order to meet this demand.
For more information on the German Advisory Board and the 50th anniversary session, please visit the German EMAS Advisory Board Website.
Study on costs and benefits to organisations of EMAS registration is now available
In 2009, the European Commission has issued a study on the costs and benefits to organisations of EMAS registration. This study has now been finalised. It analyses costs and benefits as well as the incentives and barriers confronted by potential new registrants and it identified best initiatives that help organisations to realise maximum benefits from the application of EMAS, both internal to the organisation and run by Member State competent authorities and/or accreditation bodies.
The study can be downloaded here.
The “EMAS Kitchen”: 2nd edition of EMAS Awards in Catalonia
The second edition of the EMAS awards in Catalonia was held on the evening of November 26th 2009 in Barcelona. Twenty-one nominees were assessed by the jury and the wining companies were:
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Menzolit Vitroplast SL, for the best environmental statement. Also in this category were Ecomundis Editorial SL and Consorci Hospitalari de Vic who received a special mention from the jury.
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Cemex España SA ( Alcanar site),for the best action in engaging personnel and other interested parties. The organization has established a commission on sustainability with open participation by the public administration, neighbours’ associations and university representatives, among others.
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At the same time, Escola Virolai received a special mention by the jury for the involvement of the students in the environmental management of the school, and Apli PaperS.A. for the best environmental achievement based on the reduction in energy consumption.
During the ceremony, fourteen organisations received special recognition for more than 10 years of environmentalmanagement under EMAS.
For more information, including pictures and a video, please visit the Club EMAS Website.
Ecoforce: joint actions for greener SMEs in the cross border region of Romania and Bulgaria
The Ecoforce project aims to contribute to the sustainable development of the Bulgarian-Romanian cross-border area through safeguarding the natural environment, fostering cross-border cooperation through joint efforts to solve common problems and utilizing the border area’s potential in a sustainable way. The implementation of the project will contribute to the increase of awareness among the cross-border based economic operators, thus stimulating them to improve their environmental performance by minimizing negative impacts on the environment.
The implementing organizations are Ruse Chamber of Commerce and Industry (lead partner), the Bulgarian-Romania Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Association for Sustainable Development Slatina, “Romanian Ecological Action” Foundation and Idein Society (Bulgaria).
The aims will be achieved through:
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Development of a joint resource database on environment;
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Development and distribution of information-raising materials to 3050 representatives of the target group;
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Development and implementation of an eco-management fitness tool in 100 SMEs;
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In-company awareness raising campaign;
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Eco-mapping and resource loss mapping demonstration exercise in 25 SMEs;
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Compiling the results of the project into a ‘best practices’ and case study book.
For more information, please contact Mr. Milen Dobrev from the Ruse Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
International exchange visits on EMS for the agriculture sector
A French-Belgian delegation from the INTERREG IV-funded project “DURAGRISO14001” visited, from November 15th to 18th, several sites of the VNU project: “EMAS Easy in the agro-food industry” in the Niedersachsen area (North Germany).
The project Dur’agr’iso14001, funded by Interreg, aims to develop initiatives on sustainability in agriculture on the basis of EMAS and ISO14001.
On the German side, VNU (the association for sustainable management) is coordinating the “EMAS Easy in the agro-food industry” project, which hopes to implement EMAS in six companies in the agro-food sector.
The organizers reported a great interest among the participants regarding the work that had already been done in the farms. The visit programme, which consisted of farm visits, presentations and debates, created ideal conditions for knowledge transfer. The participants were able to discover the context of agriculture in Niedersachsen, the actions of the chamber of agriculture in the environmental management field, the content of EMAS and the ground principles of EMAS Easy in agriculture.
One month later, it was time for the Belgian partners of the “Dur’agr’iso14001” project to visit the French initiative Terr’Avenir. Terr’Avenir was created in 2003 by 18 farmers to participate in the reduction of their impact on the environment and was certified to ISO 14001 in 2004. Each farm creates an individual environmental management plan. The farms share annual details about energy, waste, handling dangerous products, reducing raw material use and biodiversity to compare performance at individual and collective levels, and cooperate to improve performance. Today the initiative involves 120 farmers. The promoters of the initiative intend to step up to EMAS in the coming years so that EMAS can gain more visibility in France.
French Network of Environmental and Sustainability Managers
The Chamber of Commerce of Versailles Val-d’Oise / Yvelines launched in 2003 a network for environmental management and sustainable development. The Network of Environmental and Sustainability Managers (RME - Réseau des Managers de l’Environnement et du Développement Durable), is supported by the Ademe, the Drire, the AESN (Water Agency Seine Normandie) and the Regional Center for the Transfer of Innovation on Chemicals and Environment of the Ile de France region.
This thematic network is open to all kind of companies involved in greening their day-to-day management, from the service sector to the industry and located in the departments of Val-d’Oise and Yvelines. Most of these companies have performed an environmental initial review leading both to legal compliance and the implementation of action plans to reduce their environmental footprint. Some of the companies went up to an ISO 14001 certification or a full carbon footprint. The CCI of Versailles Val-d’Oise / Yvelines is coordinating this network by providing thematic workshops, site visits of companies or study tours.
On the 3rd of December, 20 environmental managers part of the network came to Brussels to be informed about the new developments including the European Sustainable Consumption and Production package, visits of the House of Renewable Energies and the European Parliament. The EMAS Helpdesk was involved in this event by presenting the main points of the EMAS revision as well as the role that European Members States should develop in the promotion of EMAS. Many points were raised on the situation of EMAS in France and how the CCI and ADEME could play a more active role in the further promotion of the scheme.For more information on the Network, visit the CCI’s website.