The transition to a low-carbon economy has started. At the end of 2019, the European Commission published its ‘European Green Deal for the European Union and its citizens’ that sets the objective to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy. As part of this effort, the Commission has set a global climate target of net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050.
Many European governments, organisations, companies and citizens are determined to act towards achieving this goal, although a very challenging one. This objective demands to all actors involved to rethink the way we produce and consume and our infrastructures work, the use of resources and the functioning of transportation systems. The further modernisation of the EU economy and the development of more secure, affordable and sustainable energy systems for all EU citizens call for the renewal of infrastructures and the emergence of new technologies. European standards can bring a big contribution: they are a flexible tool to improve safety and performances, raise levels of energy efficiency and protect consumers, workers and the environment. Standards also lift barriers to the uptake of environmentally friendly technologies and materials, by specifying tests or providing robust definitions that avoid misleading environmental claims. Standards enable the development of sustainable finance, integrating the materiality of technical requirements with due diligence and underwriting the procedures of financial institutions and the disclosure of financial/nonfinancial requirements.
CEN and CENELEC have a long experience of working with industry partners, the European Commission and other stakeholders to develop standards responding to the need for a cleaner and more sustainable energy system. Standardization plays an important role in meeting EU targets by promoting best practices, improving energy efficiency and safety and providing tools to optimise installations and systems.
