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EU must not cool its commitment to efficient appliances
Brussels, 12 March – Environmental organisations are urging Europe not to agree weak energy efficiency measures and confusing changes to energy labels for key appliances this week.
Experts from European Union member states will vote on ‘green’ standards for household appliances like televisions and fridges and how to update or introduce new energy labelling of these products. The Netherlands Society for Nature and Environment and Friends of the Earth Europe call on European decision-makers to stop caving in to industry pressure and strengthen the proposals so that Europe can meet its environmental and climate change targets.
Mirjam de Rijk, director of the Netherlands Society for Nature and Environment said “The EU must not go cold on its commitments to combat climate change. Industry is attempting to weaken environmental legislation when stringent standards for the energy efficiency of appliances offer Europe one of the best chances to reduce emissions.”
Avaaz campaign director Luis Morago hands over the petition, backed by penguins from the penguin refugee camp (Photo credit: Lode Saidane) Click on images to access more from milieudefensie site
The Eco-design policy aims to ensure that products sold in the EU use the best available technologies to reduce energy consumption. It represents one of the best opportunities for Europe to fight climate change and drastically cut its greenhouse gas emissions.
The EU aims to become 20% more energy efficient by 2020. According to the Netherlands Society for Nature and Environment and Friends of the Earth Europe, ambitious eco-design rules have the potential to cut Europe’s CO2 emissions by 450 million tons per year by 2020 – equivalent to the emissions of all European cars!
Increased efficiency of products to be voted on this month, including electric motors (11 March), fridges (13 March), televisions (17 March), dishwashers (30 March) and washing machines (31 March) could account for a 100 million ton CO2 saving annually.
However, Magda Stoczkiewicz, director of Friends of the Earth Europe commented: “The draft texts so far lack the ambition to deliver the reductions needed and are being weakened by industry lobbying. Rules relating to televisions, fridges and motors, and the timeline for their implementation, are particularly weak.”
Manufacturers are also attempting to kill the successful ‘A-G’ energy labelling scheme, which would be bad news for consumers and the environment in terms of saving energy and money.
On March 12th environmental organisations will launch the website www.coolproducts.eu to keep European consumers informed about developments in energy efficient appliances.
An Avaaz petition signed by 116,829 citizens from across Europe will be delivered to negotiators calling on them to adopt efficiency standards strong enough to achieve half of the EU's current emissions reduction targets for 2020.
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CONTACTS:
For Dutch press: Talitha Koek, policy officer Climate and Energy, Netherlands Society for Nature and Environment (Stichting Natuur en Milieu), t.koek@natuurenmilieu.nl, +31 6 1884 9234
For French and English speaking press: Edouard Toulouse, expert on Eco-design at ECOS, +32 (0)2 289 1096
For German speaking press: Christian Noll, EuP-policy officer Friends of the Earth Germany (Bund), +49 179 1495764
For Dutch and English speaking press: Willem Verhaak, campaign leader Friends of the Earth Netherlands (Milieudefensie) + 31 6 2959382
For information about the mass petition: Luis Morago, Campaign Director, Avaaz, +32 (0) 471 326 117
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NOTES:
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: 12 March, 11.00–12.00, Climate campaigners dressed as penguins will set up a penguin refugee camp made of refrigerators outside the Berlaymont Building, Schumann, Brussels. A mass petition signed by European citizens will be delivered to EU negotiators.
Print quality pictures will be available from 2pm on 12th March at:
http://www.milieudefensie.nl/klimaat/activiteiten/fotogalerij/ecodesign-action-12-03-2009
For more information eco-design and energy labeling
www.coolproducts.eu (consumer website, online 12 March)
http://env-ngo.eup-network.de/ (NGO positions on Ecodesign)
Friends of the Earth Europe campaigns for sustainable and fair societies and for the protection of the environment,
unites more than 30 national organisations with thousands of local groups
and is part of the world's largest grassroots environmental network, Friends of the Earth International.
