The Belgian EMAS Day marked its 14th edition on October 4, 2023. This year, the event was hosted in Wallonia, Belgium, focusing on the theme, “The Added Value of EMAS in Wastewater and Household Waste Management”.
What has happened since September 2023? Take a look and let's relive them together!
In Europe across the EMAS community
On January 4, 2024, EFRAG will publish for public consultation the European standards for sustainability reporting applicable to both listed and non-listed SMEs. These standards will be mandatory for listed SMEs reporting under CSRD starting from the financial year 2026. For non-listed SMEs a set of voluntary standards will also be proposed.
On 16th October, the Commission is proposing for the first time measures to prevent microplastic pollution from the unintentional release of plastic pellets. The proposal includes a proposal for a Regulation on preventing pellet losses which will now be discussed by the European Parliament and the Council. The Regulations introduces an exemption for EMAS registered companies and also recognises the possibility that EMAS environmental verifiers check the compliance with the requirements of the Regulation.
Dear EMAS Community, As winter settles in Europe and 2023 slowly comes to an end, please find below the main policy highlights and events from within and outside the EMAS community from the past three months.
The European Commission adopted a new version of the EMAS User’s Guide streamlining participation to EMAS on November 3rd.
Let’s get more sustainable together – Welcome to the Interinstitutional EMAS Days. As it gets colder outside, we are getting warmer from the inside – by sharing sustainable strategies, plans, and initiatives between our institutions. Eighteen EU institutions and agencies (6 more than last year) are already committed and are registered by the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). Together they fight against climate change, increase environmental protection, and reduce greenhouse gasses. All to lead by example and help the European Union reach its ambitious climate neutrality target by 2050.
On October 26, the EMAS Helpdesk, in collaboration with the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP), hosted a webinar focusing on employee and stakeholder involvement in environmental management.
As we witness unprecedented declines in nature and biodiversity, the financial sector is stepping up with groundbreaking solutions. The Kunming-Montreal GBF has ignited a surge of interest in nature-related financial mechanisms. The annual New Green Shoots webinar, a finance industry cornerstone since 2022, continues to lead the way by unveiling the latest innovative products in nature finance. Mark your calendars for January 30th at 14:00 CET, as the four finance sector webinar-partners present the 2024 New Green Shoots webinar. This event promises an insightful exploration of emerging trends in nature finance, spotlighting innovative products and mechanisms poised to scale the market.
The European Business & Biodiversity Platform is delivering a new webinar on December 13th together with its partners UNEP FI, the PRI and the Finance for Biodiversity Foundation. The new webinar will be on the biodiversity-climate nexus. Join to discover how integrating biodiversity into climate change activities is a game-changer for risk management. Tailored for banks, institutional investors, and insurers, this webinar will help you to gain new insights, explore key concepts, and receive practical recommendations on incorporating nature into existing climate frameworks. Don't miss your chance to learn how to start your biodiversity-journey linking it to your climate-activities!
Join us in celebrating a significant milestone with Align, the European Commission-funded project led by WCMC Europe and the Capitals Coalition, with partners Arcadis, ICF, and UNEP-WCMC. Over the past 2 years, Align has emerged as a transformative actor in the biodiversity measurement landscape, fuelled by a diverse community of over 500 engaged stakeholders. The 'Recommendations for a standard on corporate biodiversity measurement and valuation', published during last year’s COP15, has become a crucial guide for businesses navigating the evolving landscape of biodiversity measurement bringing alignment to a divergent space. It has been developed along with Align's engaged community, which includes 100 proactive business practitioners and 120 technical experts working together to shape a standardized approach to biodiversity measurement and valuation. As the project approaches its final stretch towards the summer of 2024, it has made available further guidance to help businesses to implement the recommendations at a site level, and across supply chains, as well as on how to assess ecosystem condition. Stay tuned to learn more about the next steps of Align in shaping the future of corporate biodiversity measurement practices. These include guidance on nature-positive, the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the integration of biodiversity into natural capital accounting and the identification of research, innovation and education needs to address biodiversity measurement challenges.
The EU Clean Air Forum was held from 23 to 24 November in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. The event showcased the development and implementation of European, national and local air policies, projects and programmes.
The European Commission, along with the support of the European Environment Agency developed the EU Flood risks areas viewer with the aim to raise flood risk awareness.
Cedefop, one of the EU’s agencies, launched a survey to gather information on how cities evaluate the impact of the green transition in the professional context and how they create policies in favour of green skills and jobs. The survey takes about 15 minutes. Your contribution will help raise the voice of cities among policy makers and provide inspiration on how to become greener in the future.
The secretariat of the European Green Capital and Leaf Awards is ready to launch the new call for applications on 14 December 2023. More information will be available soon on our website.
The next cities to take over the title of the European Green Leaf in 2024 are Elsinore (Denmark) and Velenje (Slovenia). Both cities are busy preparing their title years.
Nominated last year in Grenoble, Valencia is now ready to take on the mantle of the European Green Capital of 2024. Spain's third largest city is located on the Mediterranean coast and is known for its very rich architectural heritage.
Driven by its European Green Capital year, Tallinn introduced ‘Guidelines for Organising Sustainable Events’ in April 2023. These recommendations encompass multiple aspects, from materials and catering to waste management, transportation, energy efficiency and venue impact.
