Category: Sustainability
The difference between a Stradivarius violin and your electric toothbrush
Antonio Stradivari was an Italian genius who created over 1,000 musical instruments of the finest quality. Several hundred of his famous violins survived the past 350 years through turbulent times, and their sound still rejoices us today. Their owners would...
Fluorinated substances: the best packaging for your fast food?
The food that I serve my three children is likely to contain unwanted substances due to contaminated soil, air or water. It’s sad, but it’s a fact. What I struggle to understand is why problematic substances are intentionally added to...
Energy Label – a compass that needs calibration
At a time when the EU is supposed to deal only with the ‘big’ things, I‘d like to talk about a small sticker. A sticker which has a significant impact though, both for consumers’ pockets and the climate. You find...
It’s time for the EU Ecolabel to fly!
Environmental labels have proliferated in the past decades [1]. As demand for more sustainable products has grown, so have the initiatives to label them. So much so that there are now over 500 such labels in use worldwide. That doesn’t...
Will the EU get out of first gear on emissions cheating?
It’s now over half a year since a US agency discovered ‘defeat devices’ in Volkswagen cars to get around air pollution rules. Following the revelations, European decision makers scrambled to act. Now the question is whether long overdue EU measures will...
For better or for worse? The Commission and its ‘better regulation’ agenda
One of the Juncker Commission’s favourite catchphrases is to deliver ‘better regulation for better results.’ At the same time, it claims it will serve citizens and restore confidence in the European Union project. Unfortunately, recent developments suggest it is struggling...