Are you aware of the implications of the European Green Pact (2019) for your activities or products?
Since the European Union’s adoption of the Green Deal in 2019, legislators have produced several proposals stemming from this global agreement. The latest is the European Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). For companies operating on the European Union market, which includes many Swiss companies, this is an opportunity to get ready to evaluate their production. In fact, it is essential for them to keep a close eye on the adoption of this regulation to prepare for these new requirements and avoid being left behind.
What’s it all about? What can we expect?
The aim of this text is to promote the sustainability of products by integrating environmental criteria right from the design stage. Adopted in 2009, Directive 2009/125/EC was initially limited to the eco-design of energy-related products. Then, in 2019, as part of the Green Pact for Europe, the European Commission undertook a complete revision of this directive, considerably extending its scope to all types of products. This revision is a crucial initiative for achieving the EU’s sustainability goals, in particular the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the promotion of a circular economy.
Here are some key points of the new ESPR regulations:
- Establishing a framework for eco-design requirements and communication to consumers: The regulations encourage manufacturers to design products that reduce their environmental impact throughout their life cycle, from production to disposal, by defining 16 specific areas that will be communicated to consumers.
- Introduction of a digital passport for products: The Commission will issue specific texts for each product group, detailing the obligations for displaying ecodesign information to consumers.
- Management of unsold consumer products: Regulations will prohibit the destruction of consumer products that have not been sold.
In short, ESPR regulations are designed to encourage the design and manufacture of sustainable products, while raising consumer awareness of the environmental impact of the products they buy. This contributes to the transition towards a more environmentally-friendly economy.
Why and how to prepare?
ESPR applies to all products placed on the European market, which has an impact on Swiss companies, whether large groups, international companies with subsidiaries on both sides of the Atlantic, or suppliers to these companies, most often SMEs.
In fact, in this text, companies are urged to raise awareness of the implications of ESPR among their supply and value chain actors, in order to promote a collaborative and coordinated approach to ensuring compliance and sustainability throughout the supply chain.
How to prepare:
👉 Anticipating legal compliance
Novallia’s NV COMPLIANCE service promises to help you anticipate legal changes with peace of mind. Thanks to a database of texts and the use of a web application (which digitalizes the process), companies receive all European directives as soon as they come into force. This European news gives them a global view of the market and a prefiguration of the laws that may be proposed to the Federal Council. The NV Compliance application then provides the federal laws (cantonal and communal) resulting from the legislative movements of the European Union. What’s more, thanks to extremely precise management of action plans, organizations can integrate these texts and their requirements into their processes, assess their compliance and prove their work through the production of reports and histories.
👉 Prepare strategic and operational actions
Once the regulations have been integrated, it’s time to prepare for these changes at operational level! To this end, our partner Earth Action offers Life Cycle Analyses at different levels. Depending on the maturity of your approach to product design, Earth Action offers 4 types of analysis
- Screening: a preliminary life-cycle analysis designed to provide an initial estimate of the impact and critical points of your product or service, or to compare it with competing products on the market.
- A Complete LCA: in line with ISO 14044, this comprehensive analysis details the impact of products and services and produces an ISO-compliant report.
- Lifecycle Analysis assistance: for companies wishing to carry out this process in-house, Earth Action provides expertise and tools for calculating impact and studying different eco-design scenarios.
- Scalable CVA: A large-scale, customized service to industrialize the process. The impacts of a wide range of products or services are calculated, and the tools developed specifically for each company make it possible to progressively internalize the analyses.
Conclusion
The new ESPR regulations offer a unique opportunity for Swiss companies to position themselves as forerunners in sustainable innovation. By integrating eco-design criteria and associated regulations now, you can not only reduce your environmental impact, but also prepare for the demands of the European market and seize new economic opportunities.
Contact us today to find out how we can help you implement effective eco-design strategies and ensure the compliance of your products on the European market.