Contact: Environment and Green Technologies Department Phone:

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1 Contact: Environment and Green Technologies Department Phone: Enterprise Ireland August 08 (152)

2 Eco-labels GreenTech Support

3 Eco-labels

4 Enterprise Ireland s GreenTech Support for Business In an ever changing marketplace where Green issues are becoming more and more important for business, the need to be proactive in developing environmental policies that interact with your business is vital. Many companies are now grasping the opportunities brought about by integrating environmental sustainability into their businesses. Enterprise Ireland has offered financial support to its clients for a number of years under the Environmentally Superior Products and Environmental Management Systems schemes. Both these schemes have helped companies respond to legal and marketplace drivers by reducing the environmental impacts of their products and/or documenting the environmental aspects of their business to ISO or EMAS standards. With a view to encouraging companies to become more aware of their environmental responsibilities Enterprise Ireland has developed a new scheme to broaden the supports available to its clients in the SME sector. The GreenTech Support is designed to help companies by adding other specific, verifiable environmental supports to the existing ESP and EMS schemes. This broader scheme will now allow Enterprise Ireland clients to apply for a more extensive range of supports. These will include Carbon Footprint measurement, installing an Energy Management System to IS 393, applying for Eco-labels or other verifiable environmental improvements to processes or products that will enhance business opportunities.

5 Implementing Environmental Standards This support scheme was originally designed to help Enterprise Ireland clients to implement an Environmental Management System to ISO or EMAS standard. These systems are a considerable aid to companies in controlling the environmental impacts of their operations by maintaining a site specific, documented auditing system for all areas of production. Incorporating an environmental management system enables companies to become more environmentally sustainable by evaluating and improving the environmental aspects of their business on an ongoing basis. Benefits include: Assisting manufacturing SMEs to gain competitive advantage by demonstrating the management of their environmental issues to an internationally recognised standard Facilitates achieving preferred supplier listing with major manufacturers and retailers Adds credibility to companies wishing to engage in business to business e-commerce Improves company relationships with the community and with regulators Meets or exceeds the EMS conditions imposed by emission licences from licensing authorities including the Environmental Protection Agency Positions companies to best meet increasing environmental obligations under existing and future statutory regulation and legislation in a planned, orderly and cost effective manner Enterprise Ireland clients can now seek support to implement other certifiable environmental standards, such as: BS 8555 and EMAS Easy which are phased approaches to obtaining an EMS. These are less documented, stepwise methods of putting an EMS in place. They are more suited to SME s who may not have the resources to put a full EMS in place. It is possible to step up to full ISO 14001/EMAS accreditation if the company wishes to install a more internationally recognised standard.

6 Further environmental standards have come on stream in recent years. IS 393 is an energy management system complimentary to ISO It was drafted by Sustainable Energy Ireland and published in Support will be offered to companies wishing to implement this standard in order to make cost savings on energy use. Support for OHSAS 18001, an occupational health and safety management system which integrates well with IS Choosing a Consultant: The applicant company will be free to engage a consultant(s) of its choice. The company should exercise normal commercial prudence in selecting an appropriate consultant and be capable of demonstrating the general competence of the consultant(s) to conduct the work. Grant Support for implementing Environmental Standards: Grant payment is subject to the participant achieving a minimum Level 3 or equivalent for an EMS and a level acceptable to Enterprise Ireland for other standards. The decision to provide grant support to an applicant will be made by Enterprise Ireland based on available funds and on the merits of the application. The level of support in each case will be determined by Enterprise Ireland based on various factors, including the environmental complexity of the manufacturing activity and the level achieved for the standard. Funding will only be provided where approval is obtained in advance of work commencing. Claims should only be made at the agreed completion point made on the appropriate claim form and following payment by the company of the external consultants. The claim should be accompanied by certified invoices for the consultancy costs incurred, a certificate of incorporation and a current tax clearance certificate.

7 Environmentally Superior Products The ESP scheme supports companies in assessing opportunities for environmental improvement in their existing products or in a new product line through a process of analysis, such as Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), and can include market research, technical feasibility, legislative requirements and cost assessment. By determining where environmental impacts of a product can be reduced, companies can increase their environmental performance as well as gain improved market opportunities through producing a greener product. Drivers and benefits: Eco-design of products now integrated into EU sustainable consumption and production strategies under Energy Using Products (EUP) and Energy Related Products (ERP) Legislation and producer responsibility schemes requiring manufacturers to produce products (to include packaging) with a reduced environmental impact (e.g. EU Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste, EU Directive on End of Life Vehicles (ELV), EU Directive on Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS) Market pressure through the supply chain to improve the environmental performance of products Economic factors e.g. increasing waste disposal costs and the cost savings that environmental efficiencies can bring Increased pressure from the green consumer market Increasing importance of product certification initiatives e.g. Eco-labels Eco-design is a key component in developing a culture of reducing waste by designing waste minimisation and resource efficiency into products and processes rather than the end of pipe solutions. Support can be given to projects to redesign products or convert to clean processes to reduce their environmental impacts.

8 Choosing a consultant: The applicant company will be free to engage a consultant(s) of its choice. The company should exercise normal commercial prudence in selecting an appropriate consultant and be capable of demonstrating the general competence of the consultant(s) to conduct the work. Payment arrangements: On completion of the ESP feasibility project, a report of the project will be required before a claim can be processed. Claims should only be made following payment by the company of the external consultants and made on the appropriate claim form. The claim should be accompanied by certified invoices for the consultancy costs incurred, a certificate of incorporation and a current tax clearance certificate. Enterprise Ireland may carry out site visits to validate technical and financial aspects of the project.

9 Measuring Carbon Footprint With the current attention focused on greenhouse gas emissions, increasing pressure is coming to bear on companies to assess their carbon footprint as part of an in-house carbon reduction policy. This involves the measurement of the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG s), particularly carbon dioxide, produced by a company in the running of its business. Direct corporate emissions can be measured in line with published protocols or more detailed emissions can be measured for product manufacture or supply of a service. Typically this includes a life cycle analysis to assess the carbon emissions from sources used in the process such as raw materials, energy, electricity, transport, use and disposal. Measurement of a carbon footprint will help companies to improve their environmental performance by highlighting greenhouse gas hotspots thus providing opportunities for reduction and cost savings. The concept of carbon footprinting and carbon labelling is being incorporated into business sustainability programmes, particularly in retail outlets in the food and consumer products sectors that are pursuing a green agenda. As a result, SME s in the supply chain to these outlets are becoming aware of the future need to provide a carbon footprint or label as part of the procurement process. This has potential for major impacts on the market for these products. Drivers and benefits: Market pressure through the supply chain to improve the environmental performance of products Economic factors e.g. increasing waste disposal costs and the cost savings that energy efficiencies can bring Increased pressure from the green consumer market Market opportunities for preferred supplier listing Enterprise Ireland will offer support to clients wishing to measure their carbon footprint utilising acceptable standards. The support will contribute to the cost of a qualified consultant to assist in establishing the footprint. The boundaries set by the measurement will be assessed and approved as part of the application.

10 Applying for Eco-labels The flower Eco-label symbol has been available as a European mark of environmental quality for several years. Specific product categories are covered under this scheme which is set to expand to further product groups in line with EU product and environmental policy. Companies can apply through the appropriate competent authority, in Ireland this is the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI), to have their products assessed to meet the criteria required to use the label. Enhanced market opportunities can arise from the use of the label on products being sold in the EU. Companies can apply to use the label for relevant products in order to display their environmental credentials. Financial support will be available towards the cost of application and use of the EU environmental Eco-label.

11 Other suitable environmental improvements Companies should always be encouraged to examine new technologies that can lessen the environmental impact of production. These can include energy saving devices, water reduction techniques, air pollution reduction or effluent reduction technologies. While some support exists through the ESP scheme, it is concentrated on the product itself and not on the process. Support for companies to examine how they could improve their processes may be supported under the revised scheme. All applications will be assessed on an individual basis. Grant support Enterprise Ireland offers grant aid for any of the above through the GreenTech Support. The decision to provide grant support to an applicant will be made by Enterprise Ireland based on available funds and on the merits of the application. The level of support in each case will be determined by Enterprise Ireland based on various factors, including the environmental complexity of the manufacturing activity. Funding will only be provided where approval is obtained in advance of work commencing. To apply: Contact: Environment and Green Technologies Department Phone:

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