Joint Research Centre (JRC)

IPTS - Institute for Prospective Technological StudiesSeville, Spain

http://ipts.jrc.ec.europa.eu/

Environmental prioritisation of products –

Towards a workplan for Ecolabel and GPP

Oliver Wolf

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Overview

• Introduction to EIPRO & IMPRO

• Overview of environmental ranking of products

• Derivation of workplan for Ecolabel & GPP

• Proposal for product groups to be addressed in the coming years

• Time plan

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Introduction to EIPRO & IMPRO

EIPRO: Environmental Impact of PROductshttp://ipts.jrc.ec.europa.eu/publications/pub.cfm?id=1429

• Macro analysis of the EU25 final consumption looking at environmental impact of products with a life cycle perspective

• Top-down approach based on Input-Output analysis linked with environmental indicators

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Introduction to EIPRO & IMPRO

• Final consumption disaggregated into 282 product groups

• Impact categories taken into account:

Global warming Photochemical Oxidation

Ozone layer depletion Human Toxicity

Acidification Ecotoxicity

Eutrophication Abiotic depletion

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Introduction to EIPRO & IMPRO

Ex: Global Warming Potential by final consumption categories

31%

24%19%

Housing

Transport

IMPRO studies on: cars, buildings and Meat/dairy products

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Overview of environmental ranking of products

246 final product groups

Product group contribution to total impact (8 impact categories)

Product group ranking (for 8 impact categories)

Average ranking score of product groups

Final ranking of product groups

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Overview of environmental ranking of products

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Overview of environmental ranking of products

Distribution of environmental impacts

EIPRO Environmental impacts (% of total)

Product groupsAbiotic

depletion

Global

warming

Ozone

layer

depletion

Human

toxicityEcotoxicity

Photo-

chemical oxidation

Acidification Eutrophication

Cars 15,41 15,00 10,30 20,70 11,10 16,60 10,30 4,75

Eating and drinking places 6,17 8,08 7,88 7,36 8,10 7,82 8,45 12,10

Meat packing plants 3,01 5,54 3,32 3,59 4,88 3,88 6,14 11,00

Residential housing construction 3,26 4,03 4,37 5,13 4,38 4,73 3,87 1,44

Poultry slaughtering and processing

2,53 3,93 3,11 2,96 3,15 3,42 4,46 6,68

Textile products 1,89 2,17 3,15 2,50 6,25 2,96 2,20 4,82

Fluid milk 1,72 2,38 1,87 1,86 2,61 2,08 2,63 4,91

Heating system (room) 18,85 4,93 1,22 1,93 1,20 3,89 2,98 1,05

Sausages and other prepared meat products

1,42 2,52 1,66 1,78 2,19 1,93 2,80 4,83

Natural, processed, and imitation cheese

1,47 2,11 1,57 1,64 2,30 1,81 2,34 4,32

Building components including insulation

1,49 1,82 1,99 2,30 1,92 2,14 1,82 0,67

Subtotal – Top 11 57,21 52,51 40,44 51,75 48,09 51,25 47,98 56,57

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Overview of environmental ranking of products

Distribution of environmental impacts

EIPRO Environmental impacts (% of total)

Product groups (246)Abiotic

depletion

Global

warming

Ozone

layer

depletion

Human

toxicityEcotoxicity

Photo-

chemical

oxidation

Acidification Eutrophication

Subtotal – Top 11 57,21 52,51 40,44 51,75 48,09 51,25 47,98 56,57

Subtotal – Top 50 85,88 84,84 80,44 83,21 82,10 82,48 84,09 82,59

Subtotal – Top 90 94,42 94,60 92,56 93,64 92,96 93,53 94,36 95,45

Total – 246 product groups 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

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Derivation of workplan for Ecolabel & GPP

Analysis of environmentally ranked products with regards to:

• Product groups with significant environmental impacts

• Current coverage through the Ecolabel

• Products from Ecolabel workplans I & II

• Market significance (stock volume, sales)

• Harmonisation between EU Ecolabel and GPP

• Coherence with Ecodesign Directive

• Coverage through national ecolabels

Guideline for priority product groups: coherence and harmonisation between

product policy instruments

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Cars

Textile products

Heating systems

Building components

Telecommunication services

Mechanical repair services

Financial services

Water heating systems

Passenger transportation services

Building services

Household cooking equipment

Wooden furniture

Televisions

Growing media

Hard and soft floor coverings

Soaps and shampoos

Car renting

Tissue paper

Footwear

Dry cleaning services

Imaging Equipment

Bed mattresses

Soil Improvers

Converted paper products

Leather products

Toys and games

Telephones

Sports equipment

Delivery services

Tableware

Writing implements

Indoor and outdoor paint and varnish

Air conditioning

Heat pumps

Sanitary products

Water-using products

Top 50 in environmental

ranking

Top 90 in environmental

ranking

>Top 90 in environmental

ranking

No environmental ranking available

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Derivation of workplan for Ecolabel & GPP

Product discussion:

• Heating systems: Heat pump label due for Ecolabel revision. Product group might be enlarged to include air conditioning, boilers and others. Strong link to Ecolabel and Ecodesign

• Water using products: Ecodesign coherence, high environmental impact. Part of buildings building components group, relevance for GPP.

• Imaging equipment: Candidate for shortened procedure under Annex 1B. Material available under Member States labels + Eco mark. Coherence with GPP and Ecodesign.

• Buildings: Further development of Italian criteria proposal for Ecolabel. Link with existing GPP criteria.

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Derivation of workplan for Ecolabel & GPP

Candidates for 2011 and beyond:

• Household cooking equipment: High environmental ranking, coherence with Ecodesign

• Building components: High environmental ranking. Align with future work on GPP and Ecodesign

• Services: Gain experience with service in coming years, e.g. telecommunication services (including mobile phones, link to GPP)

• Toys and games could be candidate for shortened procedure in coming years

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Derivation of workplan for Ecolabel & GPP

Revisions for 2011 and beyond:

• Soaps and Shampoo: High environmental ranking

• Footwear: High environmental impact. Could be combined with Leather products

• Textiles and bed mattresses: Quick revision

• Television (and PC and Laptop) in mid-term future

• Paints and varnishes in mid-term future

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Year Product Groups

2010 Heating systemsWater using productsImaging equipment(Buildings)

Proposal for product groups

Year Product Groups

2011 + Revisions (ECOLABEL)

• Soaps & shampoos (1st time revision)

• Footwear revision + Leather products

• Textiles revision• Bed mattresses• Paints and varnishes• Television

New product groups

• Windows and doors• Sanitary products• Toys and games• Household cooking equipment• Telecommunication services

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Heating systems: • Boilers • Air conditioning and heat pumps• CHP

Water using products:• Taps and showerheads• (Toilets)

Imaging Equipment:• Printer• Copier• Multifunctional devices• (more to be defined)

Buildings• Buildings as a whole

Proposal for product groups

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Indicative timeline for Ecolabel + GPP activities (1)

1. Product prioritisation (Jan/Feb 2010)

2. Working documents on product definition (April 2010)

3. Definition, market & economic analyses, environmental assessment (Spring/Summer 2010)

4. AHWG / GPP expert group meetings (Fall 2010)

5. Starting development of draft criteria (Fall 2010)

6. Preliminary reports (Publication end 2010)

7. AHWG + GPP expert group meetings (Beginning 2011)

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Indicative timeline for Ecolabel + GPP activities (2)

8. AHWG + GPP expert group meetings (Spring/Summer 2011)

9. Final reports end 2011

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Thank you!