Sustainable resource management and chemicals use - SNS Annual event 2015

The Sustainability Network for Standardisation yesterday welcomed representatives from across the UK sustainability sector at its 2015 Annual Event.

This year’s one-day conference had a dual focus on two of the SNS’s current work programme areas – sustainable resource management and the sustainable use of chemicals.

Cat McAlister, ECOS-nominated product policy expert, provided a highly current update on standardisation work such as the EU Commission’s planned standards programme for material efficiency aspects of energy-related products, forming the basis for incorporating resource-related regulatory requirements into the Ecodesign Directive.

Sam Reeve of Resource Futures and member of BSI’s recently convened technical committee for Sustainable Resource Management gave an overview of the committee’s ambitions for developing a framework standard for organisations to implement measures to support the move towards a circular economy model.

A framework of headline indicators for a circular economy was presented by Friends of the Earth and the Institution of Civil Engineers renewed its call for the establishment of a UK Office for Resource Management to provide top level coordination of resource policy across government departments.

Linking the resource and the chemicals agendas, the need for chemicals safety in facilitating increased resource circularity was highlighted by Dr Michael Warhurst of CHEM Trust.

SNS-nominated expert Paul Whaley shared his experience of representing environmental interests in a technical committee concerned with the safety of audio-visual equipment, while Dr Panos Fotis of ECOS presented a recently launched project to develop guidance to assist standards-makers in considering the whole-life cycle impacts of chemicals in products.

Finally, a draft European standard for the responsible development of nano-technologies was presented by Dr Denis Koltsov of BREC Solutions.

To view the full programme, click here.

All presentations are available for download here:

• Ecodesign: Developing standards for material efficiency - Cat McAlister, ECOS

• Resource efficiency indicators in the context of the EU circular

economy package - David Powell, Friends of the Earth (England, Wales & NI)

• BSI Sustainable Resource Management Committee - Sam Reeve, Resource Futures

• A UK Office for Resource Management - Gavin Miller, Institution of Civil Engineers

• The REACH Directive – Facilitating resource circularity? - Dr Michael Warhurst, CHEM Trust

• Chemicals in product standards – a pan-EU project - Dr Panos Fotis, ECOS

• Flame retardants in electrical equipment: the role of standards - Paul Whaley, University of Lancaster

• Nano-technology standard for responsible development - Dr Denis Koltosov, BREC Solutions

• Facilitating environmental stakeholder representation in standards development - David Bell, BSI

• Linking standards and environmental legislation - Claudia Kuss-Tenzer, Sustainability Network for Standardisation

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of BSI for this event.