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Picture: Pexels Could environmental footprints be a game-changing policy tool and in the future lead to significant changes in market conditions regarding both documentation and communication of environmental impacts of products? Consumers and businesses within the European Union may in the coming years meet a whole new and systematic information system on the environmental footprints (EF) of products and organisations - enhancing circularity in the economy and increasing co-operation in value chains. At the conference you learn about the new approach and how it may become a market standard for environmental communication in the near future. Will environmental footprint become a mandatory tool for companies making green claims or will it give boost to different voluntary tools already available? In 2013, the European Commission published methods for the calculation of the environmental footprint of products (PEF) and organizations (OEF). The methods take account of the whole life-cycle of the products, from the extraction of raw materials to the disposal of products as waste. They provide a European harmonized way to quantify environmental impacts in the future. Over the past 5 years, the European Commission, together with more than 260 volunteering organizations and companies, have tested the development of more than 20 product category (PEFCR) and 2 organization sector (OEFSR) rules. The new rules open the possibilities for business to document and communicate the environmental performance to both consumers and professional customers in different markets in a simplified, consistent and verifiable way and thus creating a much more transparent market regarding environmental claims. The Commission will now consider how to use the developed methods – from legislative requirements to voluntary measures. The overall objectives are to activate the market in promoting a circular economy. Practical information
- Participation in the conference is free of charge. Please notice that the number of participants is limited to 200 persons.
- The conference will be livestreamed.
- The Conference takes place in the famous Finlandia Hall at the very center of Helsinki. It is easy to reach from the airport of Helsinki. The program starts at 10.15, so that you may arrive with a morning flight from e.g. Stockholm and Copenhagen. If you wish to stay overnight, the Scandic Park Hotel close to Finlandia Hall has a special offer for conference participants (valid until 3 September, if rooms available). Booking code is BSYK170918.
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