With the Digital Product Passport (DPP) set for compulsory adaption as of February 2027, all product information, from material sourcing through to end-of-cycle recycling, has to be accessible and transparent. The DPP will be affixed to products (as a NFC chip, QR code, or RFID tag) so that any actor along the chain, be it a manufacturer, retailer, or consumer can easily access it.
The Digital Product Passport can be a strong lever for the Circular Economy, in that the type and scope of information it features can enable key processes such as repairing, remanufacturing, or recycling of products. To support a dialogue between main stakeholders in the Circular Economy world and different Digital Product Passport initiatives in several product value chains, the CircularTech Forum invites relevant actors to join the discussion on 16 September 2024 in Cologne, Germany.
The forum provides a platform for international discussions on Digital Product Passports in key value chains such as electric vehicle batteries, electronics/Information and Communication Technology, textiles, cosmetics, construction, steel, cleaning agents, and others.
“This year, the forum delves into the topic of intersectoral Digital Product Passports, drawing insights from the Battery Passport, which serves as the blueprint for DPPs in other regulated industries. Through this event we aim to bring the EU DPP ecosystem together, revolutionising the realm of digitalisation in the Circular Economy.”, says Elliana Jensen-Abieva, founder of the CircularTech Forum.
As last year, the CSCP is a partner of the CircularTech Forum 2024, joining hands with key actors to accelerate the implementation of digitalisation processes that will shape the future of the Circular Economy.
Event: CircularTech Forum Date: 16 September 2024 Time: 15:00-21:00 Place: Cologne, Germany Language: English
To join the CircularTech Forum, please visit the forum’s website. The CircularTech Forum is funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of North-Rhine Westphalia.
For additional information, please contact Flandra Syla-Beqiri.
Chemicals and materials based on biomass, carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) or chemical recycling are sustainable alternatives to fossil-based chemicals and materials. For the third year in a row, the Renewable Materials Conference showcases and honours innovative and promising solutions in the field of renewable materials.
Three bio-based innovations from Germany and Sweden, two CCU innovations from Denmark and Hungary and one advanced plastic recycling technology from Canada are nominated for the “Renewable Material of the Year 2024” innovation award.
The Renewable Materials Conference 2024 will take place from 11 – 13 June in Siegburg/Cologne, Germany and brings together actors from the industry, academia and policy, who will present the latest developments in technology, innovation, policy and the market to an international audience of experts.
The programme includes 80 presentations, 20 panel discussions and more than ten workshops. Companies, associations and institutes are still invited to run one of the workshops and take part in exhibition and sponsoring. For additional details on the programme and how to engage, please visit the Renewable Materials Conference website.
The Renewable Materials Conference is organised by nova-Institute.
As in the past years, the CSCP is a partner of the Renewable Materials Conference 2024.
For further information, please contact Cristina Fedato.
How can a zero-waste, carbon-neutral city district look like? How might relevant actors come together and create positive impact? At the Urban Zero-Festival, the municipal enterprise Duisburg will showcase ideas connected to zero-waste and discuss them with the participants. Don’t miss the festival on 13 May 2023!
The festival is the starting point of the Urban Zero Initiative, which aims to make Ruhrort the world’s first carbon-neutral neighbourhood by 2029. Through more green spaces, sustainable offers, energy solutions, and mobility concepts, the initiative will benefit the environment and local residents alike.
During the festival, the participants can experience, discover, and learn how this ambitious goal can be achieved together!
Do you live in or near Duisburg? Join the festival and become part of this unique journey toward a carbon-neutral future and help make Ruhrort an inspiration and best-case example.
At the festival, you can:
Event: “Urban Zero Festival” Date: 13 May 2023 Time: 11-17:00 Place: Ruhrort, Duisburg, Germany Language: German Cost: Free of charge
For additional information on the Urban Zero Initiative and festival, please go here.
For additional questions, please contact Hanna Perrin.
Global demand for embedded carbon (the carbon in molecules) is expected to increase significantly by 2050. Today, the vast majority of embedded carbon comes from fossil feedstocks, including oil, natural gas and coal. To achieve a fully de-fossilised economy, this demand must be met exclusively by renewable carbon sources, such as biomass.
The Renewable Materials Conference, taking place on 23-25 May 2023 in Siegburg/Cologne (Germany), is a platform for showcasing achievements in the field of renewable materials. The conference brings together experts, stakeholders, and industry leaders to discuss latest developments and share their visions and strategies for the future.
With a focus on collaborative efforts and knowledge sharing, the conference will offer over 500 attendees the opportunity to create a better understanding of the current state of renewable materials and the possibilities that lie ahead.
The conference puts the focus on new materials as a key enabler for sustainable products in areas such as textiles, cosmetics, packaging as well as on elastic and biodegradable materials for a variety of applications.
With the innovation award “Renewable Material of the Year 2023”, nova-Institute, as organiser, and Covestro, as sponsor, aim to recognise particularly exciting and promising solutions that contribute to replacing fossil carbon from the ground. The call for submissions was answered by 30 companies. An advisory board and field experts have selected the six most promising materials and nominated them for the award. The conference participants will decide on the winners.
As in the past years, the CSCP is a partner of the Renewable Materials Conference 2023.
For further information, please contact Carina Diedrich.
As of January 2023, the German Supply Chain Act aims at creating a more level playing field for German companies based on due diligence and in favour of human rights and environmental protection. In a joint position paper, the CSCP, the Wuppertal Institute, and Sustainabill elaborate on the limitations of the supply chain act and give recommendations about what should be included in a future European legislation in order to be more effective.
Controversies related to difficult working conditions and environmental pollution (especially in the early phases of the supply chains) and the difficulties to effectively monitor all links of the chain show that the aspirations of companies are often not met in reality. Following up on the prior publication “Sustainable Supply Chains: Global Cooperative Regional Economies for Prosperity and Resilience”, this position paper links the Supply Chain Act to the practice-oriented perspective of companies and explicates what it means to them.
The paper puts the ambition for more sustainable supply chains into the broader picture of sustainable development and builds on four starting points for companies:
The position paper takes up the missing pieces of the current regulation and discusses ways for companies to proactively initiate win-win processes for all stakeholders along the value chain. It stresses the role of internal process adjustments in sourcing and procurement, reformulating the sustainability strategy, and chances of cooperation in industry sectors. The paper also highlights the importance of capacity building internally within companies but also within the entire supply chain network.
The position paper “The German Supply Chain Act is Here: How can it have an impact and how should companies react” is available in English and German.
For further questions, please contact Cristina Fedato.
Bio-based, carbon dioxide-based or recycled, renewable material solutions are an important ingredient for the sustainable future that we aspire. The innovation award “Renewable Material of the Year” that will be granted to trend-setting products and technologies aims to promote renewable materials and encourage pioneers from all industries. This year, three advanced recycling technologies, a CO2-based cleaner, plant leather and a hemp chair are nominated for the award.
The award will be accorded during the Renewable Materials Conference: Chemicals and Materials for the Future, 18 – 20 May 2021. The online conference builds upon growing market demands for advanced and ready-to-use material solutions with a low carbon footprint and fossil-free. To respond to the challenges stemming from these demands, the conference gathers all relevant industries to discuss a wide range of topics, such as: building blocks and chemicals, polymers and plastics, and composite materials.
You can find more information about the conference here.
The CSCP is a partner of the Renewable Materials Conference.
For further questions, please contact Marius Mertens.
About 11 million tonnes of food are lost in Germany annually, meaning that the average German wastes around 55 kilos of food per year. This points to flaws throughout the entire supply chain: from producing and processing through to household consumption practices. Innovative tools and approaches as well joint commitment from all hallmarks of the society are needed to reduce food waste and preserve valuable resources. Join the action week “Germany Saves Food”, 22-29 September 2020, to make your own contribution!
With various on-site activities and digital formats, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and the action week partners are working together with all participants to promote greater food value appreciation. Individuals, companies as well as initiatives and associations from all over Germany are invited to be part of the action week, which marks the first such nationwide activity. Participants can come forward with their original ideas or join existing campaigns. Every idea that leads to less food waste counts!
To help channel your ideas and get inspired, here are some valuable suggestions:
The action week “Germany Saves Food” is a joint initiative of “Zu gut für die Tonne!” (Too Good to Throw Away) of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and the respective ministries of the German federal states. The action week is part of the implementation of BMEL’s National Strategy to Reduce Food Waste.
More information about the action week can be found here.
The National Dialogue Forum for Reduction of Food Waste in Wholesale and Retail Industry, carried out by the CSCP in collaboration with the Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut, is a partner of the action week.
For further information please contact Nora Brüggemann.
The innovation award “Bio-based Material of the Year” will be granted to the bio-based chemicals and materials industry to honour the most distinctive new materials and products in the field. This year, six contenders out of seventeen applications have made it to the short-list.
The three winners will be selected by the participants of the “13th International Conference on Bio-based Materials”, which will be held online during 12-14 May 2020. The list of the six finalists includes:
The key topics of the “13th International Conference on Bio-based Materials” are circular economy, renewable carbon, chemical recycling, and the latest investments in biorefineries. Information on technologies, markets, and policy will be provided for bio-based building blocks and polymers. Other relevant topics of this year‘s online conference include: utilisation, fine chemicals for pharma, cosmetics, and body care.
The CSCP is a media partner of the Conference on Bio-based Materials.
For further questions, please contact Carina Diedrich.
Application to the Procura+ Awards for Innovative and Sustainable Procurements is Open – Submit Yours Until 31 March!
Are you a public authority? Have you implemented any procurements and/or related initiatives with remarkable innovation elements or significant economic, environmental and social impact? Then, submit your application for the 2020 edition of the Procura+ Awards – a major and prestigious recognition of sustainable and innovative procurements and related initiatives.
The Procura+ Award is an initiative of ICLEI in co-operation with the EU-funded Procure2Innovate project and in strategic partnership with the CSCP. The application period is open until 31 March 2020. The awards are divided into four categories: Innovation Procurement of the Year, Outstanding Innovation Procurement in ICT, Sustainable Procurement of the Year, and Procurement Initiative of the Year. The awarded public authorities will receive a unique trophy and have the right to promote themselves with the award title. Furthermore, the rewarded procurement activities will be widely disseminated using a variety of ICLEI publications and channels, as well as other channels, platforms and media outlets. Winning a Procura+ Award can thus be an excellent way to prove your commitment to innovation and sustainability, and let others know about it. Participants in previous editions highlighted that taking part in the Procura+ Awards helped them to benchmark themselves, get recognition, and advocate in favor of more sustainability and innovation criteria in tenders.
For more information on the Procura+ Awards 2020, and to download the application form, visit the Procura+ Website.
For further questions, please contact Ahmad Hafiz.
Prime Minister Armin Laschet awarded the State Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia to Prof. Dr. Klaus Töpfer on 16 September for his decades of outstanding commitment to international service in environmental protection, nature conservation and global sustainable development, as well as for his service to his home state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The award ceremony took place in the former plenary hall of the German Bundestag in Bonn, and the encomium of the event was held by Federal Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel, who was the successor to Prof. Klaus Töpfer in 1994 as Federal Environment Minister of Germany.
Executive Director of the CSCP, Micheal Kuhndt and Cristina Fedato, leader of the SIPS team were honoured to be invited to the ceremony. Congratulating Prof. Töpfer on the state award, Mr Kuhndt said “Prof. Töpfer’s legacy and work is an inspiration for all of us at the CSCP, where we continue to take his vision forward with our work in sustainable development and consumption. This award rightly recognises the tireless work he has done for the environment while in public service.’’ Prof. Töpfer along with Prof. Peter Hennicke from the Wuppertal Institute founded the CSCP in 2005.
Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Armin Laschet said, “Climate change presents us with unprecedented challenges – global challenges that can only be met if we pull together internationally. Foreign policy is therefore today more than ever climate foreign policy. Prof. Klaus Töpfer was one of the first to recognise the global significance of climate protection and was a strong and successful advocate for solutions at the highest level – regionally, nationally and globally. He is a true pioneer of climate foreign policy, which has promoted worldwide environmental protection, growth, social balance and the preservation of creation in dialogue with the international community. Like no other, he stands as a champion and early admonisher for global environmental protection”.
Eckart von Hirschhausen, the State Police Orchestra and the choir designed the supporting programme for this State Award Ceremony. The choir group, BonnVoice sang the song “Africa” by Toto, in response to the great African commitment of Prof. Klaus Töpfer.
Photo by Land NRW / Ralph Sondermann Galerie