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Key reports and studies

Three levels of success: Lower Austria's effective eco-management scheme
08/04/2015
Three levels of success: Lower Austria's effective eco-management scheme
The The scheme has proved successful and has been copied in other parts of Austria and Europe. What distinguishes it from other schemes is a three-level voucher system that enables smaller organisations with fewer resources to participate at a less complex and cost-intensive entry level. The...
Austria
New alliance seeks to boost the EU bioeconomy
08/04/2015
New alliance seeks to boost the EU bioeconomy
A group of business federations active in agriculture and bio-based industries has established a new platform to call on the European Union to establish a more long-term policy framework that will foster the emergence of the bioeconomy. The European Bioeconomy Alliance (EBA) was launched in...
Eu
Netherlands pulls ahead in circular economy race
25/03/2015
Netherlands pulls ahead in circular economy race
The Netherlands is gearing up to make the circular economy a centrepiece of its presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first half of 2016. As part of the preparations, a project to make the Netherlands a “circular hotspot” started in September 2014. The project has its roots...
Netherlands
Rare earth recovery offers opportunities for the EU's high-tech SMEs
24/03/2015
Rare earth recovery offers opportunities for the EU's high-tech SMEs
There are potentially major business opportunities in the European Union for high-tech small and medium-sized companies that specialise in the “technospheric mining” of rare earth elements, according to a recent study for the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE...
Eu
Responsible research and innovation push seeks to broaden societal involvement
11/03/2015
Responsible research and innovation push seeks to broaden societal involvement
Eco-innovation could be boosted by a call for “responsible research and innovation” (RRI) in Europe, which is defined as “societal actors work[ing] together during the whole research and innovation process in order to better align both the process and its outcomes with the values, needs and...
Eu
Study examines financing barriers facing circular economy business models
17/11/2014
Study examines financing barriers facing circular economy business models
Companies with circular economy business models currently struggle to raise investment because of a lack of information about financial risk and because investors are generally unfamiliar with the concept of the circular economy, according to research scheduled to be published by the Ellen...
Eu
Resource efficiency lessons from south-east Europe
04/11/2014
Resource efficiency lessons from south-east Europe
A recently-concluded project involving partners from Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia has published a library of guidance on resource efficiency policies and implementation for municipalities. The guidance is primarily intended for cities in the 16...
Eu
Sustainability of production/consumption systems needs a global focus, report argues  
04/11/2014
Sustainability of production/consumption systems needs a global focus, report argues  
The European Union cannot fully move to a green economy based on resource efficiency unless it starts to address the impact that EU production and consumption has beyond its borders, according to the The report notes that “around half of some pressures from EU consumption are exerted outside...
Eu
GreenITNet examines greening by IT in cities  
07/10/2014
GreenITNet examines greening by IT in cities  
A collaborative project that brings together a number of European municipal authorities is actively exploring the transfer of good practice in green information and communications technology. In terms of the greening of IT, the project notes that information and communication technologies now...
Eu
Sustainable usage practices for sustainable buildings  
23/09/2014
Sustainable usage practices for sustainable buildings  
An EU-funded project involving partners from Belgium, France and the United Kingdom has secured a one-year extension to build awareness about how to optimally use highly energy-efficient buildings. The first stage of the The REGAIN project started in 2008, with backing from the EU INTERREG...
Eu

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