Bengt Davidsson

1
Life Cycle Thinking in European Policy- actions
for greening the market and consumption
Svenska IPP-nätverket möte i Stockholm den
10 November 2006

• Bengt Davidsson
• Sustainable Production Consumption Unit (G.4)
• DG ENV, European Commission

bengt.davidsson_at_ec.europa.eu http//www.ec.europa.
eu/environment/ipp/home.htm http//ec.europa.eu/en
vironment/wssd/scp_en.htm
2
Overview of the Presentation

• Part 1 (slide 2-18)
• EU Policy and Life Cycle Thinking
• Example Policy Support Activities and Deliveries
  of DG ENV, DG JRC (the mission is to provide
  support to policy-making), DG RTD, DG TREN, DG
  ENTR
• Some Learnings and Findings Identified
• Part 2 (slide 19-24)
• Example of Upcoming Activities and Foreseen Next
  Steps
• Sustainable Production Consumption Action Plan

3
European Union Institutions
Committee of the Regions
Court of Auditors
The Council of Ministers
The European Parliament
Economic and Social Committee
European Commission (25/27 Commissioners, 36 DGs)
...
...
...
RTD
.
...
...
TREN
RELEX
ENTR
ENV
JRC
...
.
SANCO
..
IES
IE
IPSC
IPTS
4
A bit of history and background of needs

• EU LIFE CYCLE HISTORY
• 1990s 2001 reflection and concept development
• 2001 2003 consultation and definition
• 2003 implementing IPP Communication
• THE IDENTIFIED NEEDS FOR LIFE CYCLE PRODUCT
  POLICY
• from regulation of point-source pollution
• to complementary policy approach that look into
  products and their environmental impact through
  the life cycle in an integrated way

5
Integrated Product Policy (IPP)
reduce the environmental impact caused by products

• PRINCIPLES IPP COMMUNICATION (2003)
• Advocate life-cycle thinking for goods and
  services taking action where it is most effective
• Market approach setting incentives
• Flexible as to the type of policy measure to be
  used (e.g. economic measures, standards and
  labelling, and voluntary agreements, but also
  mandatory measures)
• Encourage full stakeholder involvement (industry,
  retailers, consumers, authorities)
• Continuous improvement

6
The Role Structure of IPP

• ROLE
• Contribute to 6th Environmental Action Plan
• Conceptual framework supplement existing
  product-related policies, tools and support
  insights
• Strengthen coordination and coherence will help
  to exploit the potential synergies
• identify opportunities for improvement of goods
  and services
• avoid shifting burdens by integration of all
  environmental parameters
• consider trade-offs upstream/downstream, across
  impact categories, across political boundaries,
• ? Benefit both business competitiveness and the
  environment
• STRUCTURE
• 1) tool box economic/legal/applying/consumers
• 2) product approach identifying and
  improvement, pilot projects

7
Thematic Strategy on Sustainable Use of Natural
Resources (1)
to reduce environmental impacts associated with
resource use in Europe and in a growing economy
(decoupling)

• Adopted 2005. Long-term framework 25 years
• The whole life cycle of resource use, avoiding
  environmental impacts are shifted from one
  phase/country to another phase/country
• Creating more value - increasing resource
  productivity
• Reducing overall impact increasing
  eco-efficiency
• Substituting used resources with better
  alternatives
• Integration, including into national and sectoral
  policies
• Key initiatives 1. Information hub / data
  centre 2. International Panel (jointly with
  UNEP) 3. Indicators 4. Member States
  involvement and 5. sectoral action plans.

8
Thematic Strategy on the Prevention and Recycling
of Waste (2)
help Europe become a recycling society that seeks
to avoid waste and uses waste as a resource

• Draw on TS on natural resources assess against
  environmental objectives
• Revision of main legislation to incorporate life
  cycle thinking e.g. the Waste Framework
  Directive to reduce environmental impact taking
  into account full life cycle of resources
• Action for waste prevention at national levels
  mandatory waste prevention programmes taking into
  account the environmental potential of prevention
  actions
• Market based approach to enhance recycling
• Targets and indicators at appropriate level
• Improve science and knowledge useful for waste
  prevention and recycling
• EP Vote in committee 28.11. Plenary on
  amendments in February.
• Council Progress report in December from the
  precidency.
• A NUMBER OF IPP HOOKS IN DEFENITION AND ON
  WASTE PREVENTION

9
IPP Example of Actions and Deliveries

• COORDINATION AND COHERENCE
• Web-site on EUROPA
• Regular IPP Meetings Member states, NGO,
  representatives
• Study on Indicators for IPP (basket of products)
• Awareness study
• Reporting formats for progress on IPP
  implementation
• PRODUCT SPECIFIC APPROACH
• Study to identify products with greatest
  environmental impact from a life cycle
  perspective (EIPRO) JRC-IPTS (2006)
• food transportation buildings
• further methodology and data development
• IPP Pilot Project demonstrate the practical
  application of IPP
• mobile phones
• tropical wooden chairs

10
IPP Examples of Tool-Box Activities (1)

• Green public procurement (GPP) http//ec.europa.eu
  /environment/gpp/
• - life cycle approach
• - COM support from Member State process - EU
  renewed target on GPP
• - handbook explains how to do concrete green
  procurement procedure
• with concrete examples adopted (2004) and
  translated (2005)
• - green criteria guidance for purchasers
• European Platform on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
  JRC-IES
• Making quality assured methodology and data
  available
• European Reference Life Cycle Data System (ELCD)
• - life cycle inventory data
• - life cycle impact assessment factors
• Handbook on recommended LCA methods and guidance
  and review process
• Info hub and communication platform on the web
  (new version soon)

11
Environmental Technologies Actions Plan (2)

• environmental technologies have the potential to
  reduce pressures on natural resources and
  contribute to EU competitiveness and growth (the
  Lisbon process)
• potential is not fully used and EU action is
  needed
• fields of action
• getting from research to markets
• improving market conditions
• acting globally
• performance targets (PT) scheme
• agree on ambitious long-term environmental PT for
  key products
• compete - encourage uptake by business and
  consumers
• based on voluntary agreement may become legally
  binding
• project defining performance targets in the
  framework of IPP
• trigger innovation, move the market, reward
  front-runners
• synthesis paper and public consultation in 2007
  proposal 2008

12
Eco-design Directive for Energy-using Products (3)

• a framework for setting eco-design requirements
  for energy-using products
• promote SD, free movement of EuP, env protection,
  security energy supply
• background better regulation - efficient
  decision-making, consultation, self-regulation
  approach
• concrete example of IPP links with IPP are
• EuP is in line with IPP principles - i.e.
  integrated approach, room for volutary approaches
• one of the elements of IPP legal requirements
  on product design
• cross-fertilisation of studies and other
  activities
• significant volume, environmental impact, and
  improvement options
• legal obligations for manufactures will come with
  the implementing measures
• adoption through a transparent process
• priority is given to self-regulatory activities
  by industry
• preparatory studies (1315)
• adoption of first implementation measures
  expected in 2008

13
WG Environmental Product Information (4)

• Background
• The potential for making product information work
  for the environment is a long way from being
  achieved
• How governments and stakeholders can act to make
  life-cycle based product information a real force
  for environmental improvement
• Objectives
• identify the needs for environmental product
  information
• examine the tools
• identify the gaps and opportunities
• propose how things should be improved
• Analysis
• Policy background
• Market conditions
• The bigger picture - a system view of product
  information
• Barriers, gaps and opportunities

14
WG Environmental Product Information (4)

• Key points for better regulation and
  policy-making by governments
• Product information can be used in a powerful
  combination with other tools to deliver
  environmental improvement.
• In ideal conditions, this would enable and
  stimulate the market to operate efficiently and
  competitively to deliver the goals of sustainable
  production and consumption.
• Under present conditions, the market on its own
  is unlikely to deliver - the barriers in the
  field of product information are steep and the
  drivers are weak.
• The investment of effort on product information
  could be very cost-effective in delivering
  improvement, compared with traditional
  regulatory mechanisms - but this depends very
  much on using the right frameworks and
  influences.
• It will need leadership and action at a
  government level (both at EU level and in Member
  States) to improve the frameworks for product
  information and unlock the potential to drive
  environmental improvement.
• ? Strong case for policy action
• Conclusions and recommendations
• 1. Clear statement of policy vision and roles
• 2. Administrative and policy integration
  measures
• 3. Legislative power measures

15
LCT Example of Foreseen Actions (1)

• Thematic stategies
• Natural resources international panel
• Waste Framework Directive (proposed revision)
• Study to identify potential for improvement
  (IMPRO) JRC-IPTS (2007)
• meat and diary
• car transportation
• housing
• Pilot Project finalise step 5 on monitoring the
  commitments
• Environment Data Centre on Products
• Eurostat lead with ENV, JRC, EEA
• assessment of data to derive policy relevant
  information
• information hub
• manage data, perform quality assurance,
  coordinate data management
• develop necessary methodologies data,
  statistics, indicators

16
LCT Example of Foreseen Actions (2)

• EXIOPOL product methodology and data
  development (EIPRO cont.)
• Environmental Product Information
• Framework power
• Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)
• The European Platform on LCA (cont.) and new
  items (simplified, ecodesign)
• Report on process in implementing IPP to EP and
  the Council
• GPP Communication (benchmarking)
• Performance targets scheme (ETAP)
• EMAS and EU Flower revision of regulation
• SCORE2 / ASCEE research for policy support on
  IPP tools effectiveness
• Sustainable Production Consumption Action Plan

17
7th EU RTD Framework Program Activities

• CALCAS
• - explore how to enlarge and deepen the LCA
  methodology
• - how to move towards a European Life Cycle
  Sustainability methodology
• - good share of LCA research funding might be
  based on the outputs
• Within the first calls, most waste-technology
  research projects
• - have to provide a ISO 14040 compliant LCA
• - an LCC/externality study
• - and a Life Cycle Social Assessment study
• LCA studies provided according to requirements
  of European Platform for LCA
• Within FP7 DG RTD intends to support some
  research on the potential usefulness of a
  methodology for short-term and long-term
  Technology Assessment based on a Life Cycle
  Thinking/Assessment approach. These activities
  will support and complement the work already done
  in ETAP.

18
Findings and Challenges Ahead

• Growing role of life cycle thinking in EU policy
• Working on the foundation product priorities,
  data, indicators
• A policy mix is needed not replacing regulation
• Product performance as a driver for innovation
  and benefit business competitiveness. Lack of
  concrete actions for change.
• Opportunities to some key elements e.g. product
  information
• SCP Action Plan, improving synergies -gt concrete
  priority actions!
• Addressing the demand side and lifestyles remains
  a challenge
• Involving key stakeholders governments,
  businesses, local authorities, NGOs, trade
  unions, academia win-win partnership

19
Sustainable Production Consumption

• What is SPC?
• - Addressing social and economic development
  within the carrying capacity of ecosystems and
  decoupling economic growth from environmental
  degradation.
• Reviewed SDS 2005

20
SCP the Marrakech process

• International Expert Meetings
• 2003 Marrakech
• 2005 Costa Rica
• June 2007 Stockholm
• Marrakech Task Forces Sustainable Lifestyles
  (Sweden) Sustainable Products (United Kingdom)
  Cooperation with Africa (Germany) Sustainable
  Procurement (Switzerland) Sustainable Building
  and Construction (Finland) Sustainable Tourism
  (France) Education for Sustainable Consumption
  (Italy)
• Regional Meetings - begin 2007, Ljubljana?
• CSD policy cycle
• Each year SCP as cross-cutting issue
• 2010/2011 SCP on the agenda

21
SPC EU is committed!

• WSSD, 2002, Joburg, Plan of Implementation
• Develop of a 10-year framework of programmes on
  SCP
• Developed countries to take the lead
• Reviewed SDS
• Dec. 2005 Adoption by the COM -gt New EU SCP
  action plan
• June 2006 General Affairs Council Conclusion -gt
  Upgraded in importance and ambition level vs.
  revision of EU SDS
• MS Overall Policy Framework for SCP need for an
  integrated approach
• SPC raising on the agenda global, national (FI,
  UK, CZ, SE)
• SPC Action Plan 2007 a priority for DG ENV
  (1/2)

22
SPC we have already

• product standards
• Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control
  (IPPC)
• Integrated Product Policy (IPP)
• EMAS Ecolabel
• Green Public Procurement (GPP)
• Eco-design for energy using products (EuP)
• waste and resources strategies
• resource efficiency as part of Lisbon Strategy
• etc.
• However, consumption side not so good covered

23
Approach future SCP Action Plan

• Building on ongoing initiatives and
  instrumentsIPP and LCT
• Measures to reinforce impact, address any gaps
  and ensure contribution
• concrete priority actions
• long-term elements
• Common consumption areas
• food and drink / transportation / building
• Actions
• new initiatives
• reinforcement of existing initiatives
• better coherence
• Scientific approach gap analysis, cost-benefit
  analysis, impact assessment
• Member State stakeholders involvement
• Adoption foreseen in the end of 2007 by the
  Commission
• International activities the Marrakech process

24
Preliminary ideas - future SPC Action Plan

• Thinking of a broader eco-design regulatory
  framework
• Extension of eco-design legislation
• Green private procurement
• Communication strategy
• Environmental targets (ETAP)
• Reinforce Eco-label scheme
• Reinforce EMAS
• EU-Global initiatives