On the occasion of COP26 currently taking place in Glasgow, CEN and CENELEC just released the new policy paper “Uniting the world to tackle climate change: COP26 and the commitments of European Standards”. In the document, the two European Standardization Organisations reaffirm their commitment to contributing to the fight against climate change and raise awareness on the actions they are taking to contribute to addressing these challenges.
In particular, the policy paper highlights the role of standards in contributing to the green transition: “Standards foster the process of innovation and encourage the faster development of more environmentally friendly technologies and materials. Whether it is by specifying tests or providing robust definitions that avoid misleading environmental claims, standards have a key role to play in addressing the climate emergency”.
Based on this potential, the standardization community stands ready to play their part in ensuring that both Europe and the world are equipped to deliver the social and economic transition necessary to reduce the effects of climate change, while also helping to deliver the infrastructure necessary to increase the planet’s resilience to adapt to its impacts.
Action against climate change is considered a central priority for CEN and CENELEC’s standardization work, and is a core driver of their Strategy 2030, which sets a sustainable, digital and resilient path for the future of the European Standardization System.
The policy paper joins other initiatives that CEN and CENELEC are undertaking in the context of COP26:
- On 6 November (15.30-16.30), in Brussels and online, together with BusinessEurope and Eurochambres they will co-host the special COP26 side event “The role of policy framework, standards & support tools for businesses to become climate-neutral”. More information and registration here.
- On 25 November (14.00-15.00), CEN and CENELEC will host the webinar 'Standardizing Carbon Neutrality – a milestone on the way to net zero'. More information can be found here.
The full text of the Policy Paper is available here.
