5 June 2020
The EPO
today celebrates World Environment Day. Hosted annually since 1974, the event
draws participants in over 140 countries and encourages policy makers, businesses,
and individuals to focus on important environmental issues. The 2020 theme is
#ForNature and calls for urgent action to protect biodiversity, recognising
that a disruption to ecological balance can also have negative consequences for
human health. A loss of biodiversity could create conditions that allow
infectious disease to thrive and limit the potential to discover new treatments.
Sustainability
and environmental protection are long-standing goals and to achieve objectives,
the Office follows established best-practices, for example, Eco-Management and
Audit Scheme (EMAS) validation. EMAS provides a framework for full regulatory
compliance with legislation and steers organisations towards sustainable
business practices. The EPO was first certified in 2009 and received validation
again in May 2020.
The
Office's green focus has yielded positive results. In 2019, the EPO reduced its
electricity consumption by 4.3%, water consumption by 6.2% and residual waste
by 29.2%. This year, staff received new laptops that are expected to consume approximately
50% less energy than older computers. Improved IT infrastructure and digital
teleconferencing capabilities have also empowered staff to work remotely,
thereby cutting individual transport-related emissions.
The
Office had already deployed remote working schemes prior to the arrival of the
coronavirus, leaving it prepared for the pandemic. The outbreak accelerated several
plans, such as the implementation of paperless workflows, and allowed the EPO to
test its digital infrastructure. By using and testing improved IT
infrastructure, the organisation is preparing to maintain environmental gains
post Covid-19.
Plan
for sustainability
As a
large employer with sites in multiple locations across Europe, the Office has a
responsibility to tread lightly in the cities where it has a footprint and
contribute towards wider sustainability efforts. For this reason, when the
EPO's Strategic Plan (SP2023) was drafted, environmental and sustainability issues
were given careful consideration.
Through
SP2023, a dedicated environmental programme has been developed and its
implementation is ongoing. The programme comprises several goals, outlines
individual projects that contribute to these goals, and establishes a
transparent measurement mechanism. The Environmental Report tracks the Office's
impact across all locations and compares year-on-year results. This allows the
EPO to identify areas where greater effort is needed while highlighting the
sustainability initiatives that have yielded success. The 2019 report will be
published in July.
In the
years ahead, the Office intends to make a significant contribution to the
long-term environmental goals of the Paris Agreement 2015. This includes further
reductions in paper consumption, energy usage, water consumption,
travel-related CO2 emissions and waste generation.
The
European Inventor Award: a look at green innovation
The
brightest innovators are honoured annually at the European Inventor Award, with
many of those alumni having developed technology that drives progress while
providing solutions for climate and environmental issues.
-
Dutch
chemist Gert-Jan Gruter solved a problem that had baffled
chemists for nearly 150 years. His solution helped develop a plant-based
bioplastic that requires no petrochemicals, is completely recyclable and cuts
associated CO2 emissions by up to 70%.
-
Some
7 to 12% of the world's annual CO2 emissions are related to concrete
production. By adding limestone-producing bacteria, Hendrik Marius Jonkers created self-healing bio-concrete that seals cracks,
thereby reducing the need to manufacture new concrete.
-
Conventional
showers in Europe typically spray out around 10 litres of water per minute,
meaning a 10-minute shower can use up to 100 litres of water. While working on
a NASA project, Mehrdad Mahdjoubi developed a closed-loop system that consumes
90% less water and 80% less energy than a conventional shower.
Further information
