DAS THEMENSPEKTRUM DES VDMA - DAS THEMENSPEKTRUM DES VDMA - DAS THEMENSPEKTRUM DES VDMA -
Sustainability & Energy
Demand for climate-friendly energy technologies is growing rapidly. Here, mechanical and plant engineering can expand its key position as a supplier and user of sustainable energy systems. However, this will only succeed if energy costs do not develop into a locational disadvantage and technology paths remain explicitly open through forward-looking legislation.
From our content
The new regulatory overview keeps you up to date with the most important existing and upcoming regulations in the areas of product safety, operational safety, environmental regulations, sustainability and occupational safety.
Product-related environmental regulations, many of which are known by the widely used term "Material Compliance (MC)," have been explained by VMDA in a comprehensive guide.
Under the heading "Battery legal requirements - From the BattG to the EU Battery Regulation", the VDMA held an event on March 20, 2023. Here is the most important in brief.
With the new Ecodesign Regulation and the establishment of a digital product passport, the EU Commission has set an important milestone under the Green Deal. The mechanical engineering sector will already be affected by the new requirements in the short term.
Here you will find supporting documents to assist you in implementing the contents described in the ZVEI-VDMA Code of Conduct (compliance and sustainability topics) in your company.
On November 22, 2023, the European Parliament voted on its position on the Commission's proposal for a Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
The call for sector specific sustainability benchmarks has increased as mechanical engineering companies come under pressure from legislation and customers to report their sustainability impact.
Many mechanical engineering companies supply the technologies needed for a circular economy. This makes it all the more important that the EU and the future German government seriously pursue a circular economy policy.
In the dispute over the regulation of PFAS, ECHA is signaling initial openness to alternatives to a comprehensive ban. For the industries in Europe that rely on PFAS, this is a cautious signal in the right direction.
The COP29 climate conference in Baku has opened the way to a global carbon market - but postponed crucial questions on financing global climate protection. Small steps, but not nearly enough.
The agreement reached at the COP climate conference on a voluntary global carbon market is a milestone. It has the potential to accelerate the global use of particularly efficient technologies to avoid emissions.
The new Clean Industrial Deal seeks to answer the industry calls for competitiveness as the successor of the EU Green Deal .
The COP29 world climate conference is taking place in Baku (Azerbaijan) from November 11 to 29. Find out here what topics will be discussed there and how the results could affect the mechanical and plant engineering sector.
Climate protection needs sufficient resources - both financially and technologically. The climate conference in Baku must set the right course for this.
The importance of green technologies is increasing globally China could become the dominant market player in many technologies in the coming years. The study examines how Europe can maintain its strategic independence.
Sustainable construction with a future: At LIGNA.ENGINEERED WOOD you will experience innovative wood-based materials and state-of-the-art technologies for solid wood. For environmentally friendly, cost-efficient and safe construction projects of tomorrow.
On October 29, the European Commission hosted a webinar explaining the application process for strategic recognition of manufacturing projects under the Net-Zero Industry Act.
On August 29, Germany published its updated national energy and climate plan. In these plans, each EU member state provides comprehensive information on its national energy and climate policy for the next 10 years.
At an initial public meeting on 3.9.2024 at the VDMA in Frankfurt, almost 50 experts specified the aim and focus of the project and defined working groups. Initial results will be discussed on 8.11.2024. (Update no. 2)
The German Supply Chain Act places an undue burden on small and medium-sized industrial companies. The CDU/CSU is therefore quite rightly calling for it to be repealed in the Bundestag.
The new European chemicals package must take greater account of the needs of small and medium-sized companies in particular. General bans are the wrong approach.
Clever ideas for more climate protection: A team of Arburg employees took 1st place in the Carbon Busters Award for their CO2 reduction project. The prize recognizes the commitment of the mechanical engineering industry to achieving climate targets.
Micro5: Highest precision down to the smallest detail
For a family business, the concept of "grandchildren suitability" is particularly important. For this reason, Vogelsang has already implemented a number of improvement measures in the area of climate protection and resource conservation and is planning more.
The EU Commission proposes postponement of the Deforestation Regulation by one year following massive criticism.
The entry into force of the Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is to be postponed by one year - this is a first step. The regulation now needs to be fundamentally revised.
The EU Deforestation Regulation is a prime example of well-intentioned but poorly implemented regulation. It must be postponed and fundamentally revised.
On June 30, a new EU regulation came into force, which was adopted in response to the urgent challenges of climate change and species protection.
District heating generation with multi-stage large-scale turbocompressor heat pump
By replacing outdated air filter technology with new, patented electrostatic precipitator technology, the air quality in a factory building was sustainably improved, operating costs reduced and resources conserved.
The deforestation regulation forces us to act.
Under the leadership of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research, 1500 policies worldwide were examined for their success in reducing emissions. The results point to possible best-practice approaches for future climate protection.
A legal opinion commissioned by several associations on the legality of Article 29 (1-3) of the PPWR revealed several concerns.
Transformation will only succeed if the framework conditions for Germany as an industrial location are improved. Reforms must not be put on the back burner any longer.
The Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) published the new funding guideline "Federal Funding for Industry and Climate Protection (BIK)" on August 23.
Bureaucracy holds back innovation and investment in the machinery and plant engineering sector.
The time-limited funding for the decarbonization of SMEs is the right thing to do. It will enable innovations to be brought to market more quickly.
Mechanical engineering is indispensable for a European circular economy. The Circular Economy Act is an important building block, but it must not end in the minutiae of regulation.
Together with experts from the member companies concerned, the VDMA has written a guide to the new EU Battery Regulation. It is regarded as the new standard for product-related environmental protection regulations.
The German Emissions Trading Authority (DEHSt) provides information on the possibility for companies to provide evidence of their efforts to obtain data on CBAM goods and the use of its discretionary powers in the assessment of CBAM reports
The EU's upcoming Clean Industrial Deal addresses the right issues from the perspective of the mechanical engineering industry. Implementation must now be a priority, involving the relevant stakeholders.
Development of a product category rule for determining the CO2 footprint of thermo processing equipment - call for cooperation in the development of a VDMA standard sheet.
The cabinet agreement on CSRD is to be welcomed. However, there are downsides: these include the limited group of authorized auditors. The additional costs for affected companies are also significantly underestimated in the draft legislation.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy's hydrogen import strategy falls short of expectations. The analysis of the current situation is correct, but concrete new measures and milestones are missing.
VDMA member companies discussed with political representatives at the Week of the Environment.
The International Energy Agency's Energy Efficiency Toolkit is a collection of policies to increase energy efficiency. It is intended to help decision-makers find new opportunities for their own countries.
In a first pre-kickoff meeting (26.6.2024 at VDMA Frankfurt) the aim and direction of the approval guideline were discussed with 40 interested parties. Next date 3.9.2024.
The energy research report shows that Germany has a strong research landscape. However, energy research must respond more strongly to market offensives by competitors such as China.
In the ESRS project group, members exchange views on questions relating to the reporting requirements under CSRD. The VDMA provides its members with the interim status of the discussion as a Q&A.
CSRD, Supply Chain Sustainability Obligations Act & Co.: The seminars of the Mechanical Engineering Institute provide you with practical knowledge and solutions to the current requirements for more sustainability and climate protection in mechanical and plant engineering.
Legal requirements
The revised CSR Directive significantly expands the user group: in Germany from currently around 500 to 15,000 companies! The reporting standard to be met has also been available since July 2023.
The proposed regulation of voluntary environmental claims in Business-to-Consumer activities awaits vote in European Parliament.
"Closing the loop" is the motto of the EU Commission's comprehensive circular economy package. It aims to do much more than just save a little bit of resources and recycle a little bit more.
The European Sustainable Finance Taxonomy Regulation aims to define what environmentally sustainable economic activities are and thus create a standardized classification system within the EU.
The final form of the Corporate Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) will be negotiated at EU level in 2023. In Germany, the Bundestag has already passed a Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) in 2021.
Since the beginning of 2021, importers of conflict minerals such as tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold from risk areas into the EU have been subject to binding due diligence obligations.
On June 30, a new EU regulation came into force, which was adopted in response to the urgent challenges of climate change and species protection.
Important questions on this topic
-
PCF Guideline & PCF STARTER: How can companies determine their product carbon footprint?
-
What new obligations does the Energy Efficiency Act impose?
-
How will the World Energy Outlook 2023 influence the energy industry?
-
VDMA Material Compliance Guideline: How can companies fulfil product-related environmental requirements?
-
Where can I find information on product-related environmental requirements outside the EU?
Our expert and focus topics
Our topics
Research Funding
Sustainability
Solar Energy
Environmental Policy
Hydrogen
Power-to-X
Chemical Law
Climate Policy
Resource Efficiency
Climate Neutrality
Energy Policy
Power Systems
RoHS
Renewable Energies
Ecodesign Regulation
Wind Energy
Energy
Combined Heat and Power Production
Bioenergy
Biologicalization of Industry
Gas Turbines
Ecodesign
Emissions
Go For Green Tech
CO2 Pricing
Energy Research
Recycling Technologies
Environmental Law
Corporate Social Responsibility
CBAM
Hydropower Plants
Grids
Human rights due diligence
Exhaust Gas Emissions
Fuel cell innovation cluster
Renewable Gases
Energy Transition Barometer
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Law
Waste Management
Renovation Wave
To the point
Events
Our services
FAQ on the subject of substance policy
Our FAQ provides answers to all important questions on the subject of "European substance law"
Climate-neutral production Guide
Our guideline demonstrates how you can produce in a climate-neutral way and implement reporting on the supply chain.
VDMA Database Technical Regulations (DaTeR)
Technical market access conditions, Japan RoHS or Korea REACH: In the VDMA-DaTeR you will find international regulatory guidelines and information from more than 70 countries.
Stay up to date: our newsletters on this topic
Subscribe now: The VDMA Newsletter Technology, Environment and Sustainability and the VDMA Newsletter Forum Climate and Energy provide information on all important innovations in the field of energy and sustainability on a regular basis.
CSR-Management: Software Offer in Cooperation with the VDMA
In cooperation with the sustainability startup Verso, we are offering you a software-based controlling and reporting tool with which you can control your company's internal CSR management.
Substance Policy Working Group
The Substance Policy working group is concerned with all questions relating to the topic of substance regulations and the obligations they entail for the mechanical and plant engineering sector. Among others, the CLP Regulation, the REACH Regulation, the POP Regulation and the RoHS Directive play an important role.
Corporate Responsibility Working Group
The working group addresses strategic issues of sustainability and ecosocially responsible corporate management.
Working Group Industry Dialogue Human Rights
The German government is launching a company survey ("monitoring") on the subject of human rights. The VDMA expects this to set the course for future specifications. It is therefore essential for as many companies as possible to participate!
Committees
VDMA partners
Blue Competence
pack4sustainability