Ecodesign made in euskadi. 15 years of product environmental innovation

ecodesignmade in euskadi15 years of product environmental innovation

ecodesignmade in euskadi15 years of product environmental innovation

© Ihobe, Ingurumen Jarduketarako Sozietate Publikoa Ihobe, Sociedad Pública de Gestión Ambiental Alda. de Urquijo n.º 36-6.ª (Plaza Bizkaia). 48011 Bilbao

PUBLISHED BY:Ihobe, Publicly owned Environmental Management CompanyMinistry of the Environment and Territorial PolicyBasque [email protected] I www.ihobe.net www.ingurumena.net

PUBLIcatIon: July 2014

crEatIvItY anD DESIgn: Canaldirecto | www.canal-directo.com

PHotograPHY: The use of the images that appear in this document has been granted by the companies Gamesa Corporación Tecnológica, Ecothink-Grupo Intermedio, Soraluce S.Coop., BSH Electrodomésticos España, Ofita Interiores, Vicinay Cadenas and A&B Laboratorios de Biotecnología.

contEnt: This document has been prepared by the team of the Basque Government’s Department for the Environment and Regional Policy and its environmental management company, Ihobe.

preface

1. introduction

2. aim

3. ecodesign: environmental protection and competitiveness

4. public-private collaboration: basque raw materials

4.1. Environmental innovation 4.2. Opening up new markets 4.3. Design capacity

5. the evolution of ecodesign in the basque country

5.1. Generation of knowledge and support tools

5.2. The promotion of market-based instruments

5.3. Public support programmes 5.4. International presence 5.5. Basque ecodesign center

6. ecodesign in numbers 6.1. The basque country as one of the

leading regions in the field of ecodesign 6.2. The application of ecodesign in basque

firms. Survey 6.3. Achievements by basque firms

7. conclusions

8. appendix: leading basque firms in ecodesign

ind x

preface“It is therefore important to pay tribute to the 156 companies that have opted to implement product development down through the years and whose stories are told here.”

ecodesign made in euskadi 5

customer, has driven the integration of the environmental factor as a further business factor in the design of industrial products.

The whole supply chain linked to the Basque business fabric is responding to the development and maturity of the environment being included as a competitiveness tool and as a critical factor for the business.

It is therefore important to pay tribute to all the organisations that have made it possible for Ecodesign to be consolidated in the companies of the Basque Country and specifically in the 156 companies that have opted to implement product development down through the years and whose stories are told here.

Some fifteen years ago, the Ministry for the Environment and Territorial Policy of the Basque Government received, through Ihobe, its publicly-owned company, the first requests from different companies that wanted to learn about and embrace the concept of Ecodesign.

At that time, industry believed that the way to introduce the environment variable into its operations was either by means of end-of-pipe traditional policies or by waste minimisation and prevention practices in the production process.

However, the evolution of the market, along with the introduction of new environmental legislation, combined with the ever more exacting demands of the end

Javier agirre orcajo

General Manager

Ihobe, Publicly-owned Environmental Management Company

Basque Government

introduction“EU citizens make up less than 10% of the world’s population yet they consume half of the world’s meat production, one quarter of its paper and 15% of its energy.”Source: “Smarter and cleaner: Consuming and producing sustainably.” European Commission.


on the life cycle of the product/service, studying each and every one of the life cycle stages, as well as the interaction between them; this approach constitutes the essence of ecodesign methodologies.

However, tackling environmental protection from a product perspective requires firms to delve deep into their business practices. It is undeniable, therefore, that ecodesign can and must be understood not only as one of the major tools for environmental protection, but also as an important vehicle for helping firms to enhance their innovation, competitiveness and ability to open up new markets in a society that is making increasingly vociferous demands for products that respect the environment. The environment, therefore, has gone from being considered as a mere legal requirement to constituting a significant part of firms’ business strategies, combining competitiveness with sustainability.

As has occurred with other environmental policies in the past, firms will eventually implement these types of product-oriented philosophies in such a way that they become completely integrated into their business ethos. Until that moment arrives, and particularly when taking into account the current economic situation, in which any tool that helps firms to differentiate themselves from their competitors may prove critical to their survival, environmental policy is seen as a key, indispensable factor in business, innovation and competitiveness.

Over the past century, levels of economic growth and social wellbeing in developed countries have risen considerably. People are now demanding an increasingly high quality of life, and this had led to a dramatic increase in consumption and demand for products, which in turn has meant a greater demand for the world’s energy and resources. Added to this are economic globalisation and the ever-increasing technological complexity of products. All of this makes it clear that the current model of consumption is problematic.

Aware of the consequences of this model, European institutions are working on defining a new economic model that is based on the principles of sustainable development.

The European Union has named this model ‘Europa 2020’; it is based on knowledge, innovation, rationalisation of resources, and social and territorial cohesion, and aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by the year 2020, while simultaneously increasing energy savings and efficiency, as well as the use of renewable energy sources, by 20%.

As we have touched on above, the environmental problem has escalated at an alarming rate, and the need for all stakeholders to tackle the situation has become painfully apparent. In particular, it is crucial to begin developing products and/or services with an emphasis

aimThe main aim of this publication is to showcase all of the ecodesign-related activities that have been carried out in the last 15 years in the Basque Autonomous Community.


The publication of this report would not have been possible without the invaluable collaboration of firms who have engaged in product innovation in the course of their business activities. This collaboration has been carried out on 3 levels:

— Firms who have carried out activities in the area of ecodesign. This information allows us to form a complete picture of the activities carried out by these firms during the period under study.

— Firms who have also volunteered to showcase some specific activities they have carried out in the area of ecodesign. This information takes the form of individual fact sheets and helps us to see and understand what ecodesign involves in real terms.

— Firms who have participated in the survey entitled “The economic benefits of Ecodesign in Europe”.

The quantitative data on the Basque Country throughout the document are from the “Economic Benefits of Ecodesign In Europe” survey conducted by Ihobe with a sample of 29 companies of the 121 that appear in the annex to this publication. At European level, ENEC, the European Network of Ecodesign Centres, conducted this same survey with a total of 132 companies.

Throughout this report, there will be descriptions of the numerous actions that have been carried out in the area of ecodesign in the Basque Country, both by industrial firms and by public administrations. As well as demonstrating how the Basque Country has been maturing steadily in the field of ecodesign, the following areas of activity will be evaluated in detail:

— Basque industry and its evolution.— The acquisition of eco-knowledge.— Public-private collaboration.

By showcasing these activities, and providing evidence of the good work carried out by Basque industry in particular, this publication also aims to emphasise the importance of environmental innovation of products as a key tool for helping firms to gain a competitive advantage in certain markets and for improving the competitiveness of Basque industry.

Lastly, and in recognition of the effort made by a great many firms in the Basque Country, we want to continue encouraging and stimulating the Basque industrial fabric to continue along this path in order to consolidate the Basque Country’s international standing as a region that develops high-quality products with maximum respect for the environment.

ecodesign: environmental protection and competitiveness

Renewable Energy Sources Directive; and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, etc.

Ecodesign, known also as ecological design or design for the environment, is defined by the UNE-EN ISO 14006 standard, in the section entitled: “Environmental Management Systems – Guidelines for incorporating ecodesign”, as “the integration of environmental aspects in the design and development of products, with the aim of reducing adverse environmental impacts over the product life cycle”. Ecodesign, therefore, does not seek to modify the industrial design process behind products and/or services; instead, it aims to compliment it by introducing the environment as another factor to


ecodesign: environmental protection and competitiveness

Over the past decade, the European Union has developed a series of tools which, in addition to acting as regulatory and planning instruments, are also concerned with economic activities that have increased thanks to the work of the EU. The package of measures implemented in recent years that has stimulated business activity includes: the Ecodesign Directive (2009/125/EC); the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme; the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Development (FP7); the 2009/29/EC Directive amending the 2003/87/EC Directive so as to improve and extend the greenhouse gas emission allowance trading scheme of the Community; the Environmental Technologies Action Plan (ETAP); the

In recent years, the majority of OECD countries have altered their perception of the environment, now seeing it as an opportunity to improve competitiveness.Mutual strengthening of environmental policies and innovations is necessary in order to achieve the best possible environmental and economic results.

12 ecodesign made in euskadi 15 years of product environmental innovation

also identifies all of the agents involved in the product’s life (suppliers, clients, waste managers, etc.) and therefore encourages the agents to work together, which in turn leads to greater possibilities for environmental improvement in the main business activity and also all other related activities.

The importance of incorporating the environmental factor right from the beginning of the design process is crucial, given that 80% of environmental impacts over the course of the product life cycle are determined during the design phase (see Figure 1).

Taking into consideration current environmental policies and the ever-increasing demand for products that are respectful of the environment, it seems clear that those products that integrate the environmental factor into their design and development processes may have a stronger chance of consolidating their presence in the marketplace.

take into account when making decisions during the product development process.

An important factor to be taken into account is the above-mentioned Life Cycle approach. This approach involves evaluating the interactions between all stages of the product’s life cycle, from the extraction of the raw materials, the manufacturing stage, distribution and use, right up until the end-of-life phase. In order to be able to develop a good product, it is crucial that the interactions between all stages of the life cycle are considered from the very first moment in the design process right up until its end-of-life. This helps us to acquire greater knowledge of the product itself, to learn where its most significant environmental impacts occur, to visualise the possible transfer of environmental burdens from one stage to another, and to be able to choose an alternative which reduces the product’s overall environmental impact. This vision

Figure 1

The life cycle stages of a product

Utilization reuse

transportationDisposal recycling

Manufacturing production

raw material extraction

ecodesign: environmental protection and competitiveness ecodesign made in euskadi 13

broad in scope, as is the case with the “extended producer responsibility”, pertaining to the responsibility that firms must shoulder for their products after they have reached their end-of-life. All of this means that environmental demands and responsibilities are now more prevalent than ever. This occurs all along the supply chain, and includes industrial clients and even end consumers, as well as the suppliers themselves. In this regard, ecodesign can serve as a vehicle for ensuring compliance with current legislation and even for taking pro-active steps to comply with possible future legislation that will be applied to new products.

The design and development of products/services in the market in which future environmental impacts are taken into account may provide a vehicle which enables firms to improve their product and also to stay one step ahead of their competitors. It is also evident that public administrations are now imposing greater environmental demands in their public procurement policies. For this reason, firms who implement ecodesign may stand a better chance of being awarded those public tenders which have more stringent environmental requirements for products and services.

There is no question that firms who make an effort to develop products or services that are more respectful of the environment enjoy significant improvements

Good design and development of products/services in industry is essential to firms’ business activities and to their competitiveness. Therefore, the implementation of ecodesign as an environmental quality standard may lend substantial competitive advantages to an organisation. As we have discussed, in addition to the environmental improvement that can be achieved by incorporating the environmental factor into the design of products, ecodesign also enhances the industry’s capacity for innovation, since by studying the stages of products’ life cycles and the relationships between each of these stages, it is possible to enhance our ecodesign knowledge base. The very definition of ecodesign implies the integration of environmental innovation into the daily activities of firms, thereby increasing the product’s added value and enhancing the firm’s global image.

In this regard, the integration of the environmental factor into the firm’s design and development processes may generate advantages in a number of areas: the optimisation of life cycle costs (e.g. helping the client to save energy); the enhancement of the firm’s image (e.g. a strong corporate social responsibility policy); greater product transparency (e.g. presenting environmental life cycle information); enhanced product quality and safety; and even a stronger market position (e.g. in cases of green public procurement).

Another important factor is that of adding value to the client-supplier relationship. The product “Life Cycle” concept entails studying the relationships and the environmental implications among the agents involved in each of the stages of the product life cycle, where the actions of one agent may result in positive or negative consequences for the others. At present, the number of environmentally-aware organisations is increasing all the time, and the amount of organisations requesting environmental information from their suppliers is also on the rise. Almost 20% of Basque firms who have implemented a process of ecodesign report that their relationship with clients has improved.

In addition, environmental protection has been included in the European Commission’s legislation and policies, which are becoming increasingly

49% of industrial firms predict that over the next 3 years, the numberof environmental requests made by their clients is going to increase by ‘very much’ or ‘quite a lot’. Source: Industrial Ecobarometer 2011, Basque Department of the Environment.

79.8 % of industrial firms consider that the end users of their products are sensitive to environmental issues Source: Industrial Ecobarometer 2011, Basque Department of the Environment.


the four most important objectives identified for the improvement of their competitiveness include opening up new markets and/or internationalisation, the incorporation of technology and innovation (Industrial Ecobarometer 2011, Basque Government’s Department of the Environment) (see Table 1).

The European Union has been a pioneer in passing ecodesign legislation. In fact, legislation on Ecodesign and the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) are the two most important instruments for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Both Directives influence almost 50% of the EU’s primary energy consumption, although their spheres of application are different, since ETS deals with the consumption of industrial energy while the Ecodesign Directive is concerned with the consumption of energy by products used across all economic activities. The EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) aims to strike a balance between the reduction of emissions and the increased competitiveness of European industry. The Ecodesign Directive (2009/125/EC), meanwhile, applies to the entire industry, European and non-European, which must comply with the standards set out by this legislation. The Ecodesign measures are applied to all manufacturers who import products to the EU and they can therefore exert a positive effect on the efficiency of products in markets that extend far beyond Europe’s borders. The products that fall within the Ecodesign Directive’s scope consume approximately 80% of the total electricity of EU-27 and around 50% of the consumption of primary energy.

The Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC aims to reduce the environmental impact of products throughout their life cycle. The Directive is the basic framework which makes it possible to develop quality standards to be applied to the environmental impact of specific groups of products. This Directive enables manufacturers to determine their own technical solutions. This in turn enhances the product innovation process, since firms will be concerned with finding solutions that avoid creatingnegative impacts on functionality, safety, accessibility and competitiveness, and they will seek to avoid burdening themselves with additional technology or excessive administrative responsibilities. In addition, the Ecodesign parameters

to the image of both their product/service and to the firm itself. This is because their efforts will serve to underscore their environmentally-conscious ethos, while also ensuring that they are responding in a positive manner to the growing environmental demands of society.

In the current economic climate, internationalisation is one of the key means by which firms can achieve a higher level of competitiveness. It is undeniable that entering new markets is a complex undertaking which requires extensive knowledge of those markets as well as many adjustments on the part of the firm in question; however, the development of environmentally-innovative products often provides firms with an advantage in markets where entry demands are high in environmental terms. In this regard, ecodesign has the capacity to place firms in an advantageous position, because it enables them to comply with the basic entry requirements in the most demanding markets. In fact, 48.1% of Basque firms state that ecodesign has enabled them to increase their market share or has enabled them to gain access to new markets.

Of the most demanding EU countries as regards ecodesign, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Holland, Belgium, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Italy are the leading generators of ecodesign knowledge and tools. In the rest of the world, the United States, Canada, Australia, Korea and Japan are the leaders in the field. Middle-Eastern countries and Brazil have also shown significant interest in recent years. For Basque firms with more than 50 employees,

the impacts that ecodesign has had on Basque organisations are similar to the average for the European Union. For 40.7% of firms, ecodesign has led to an improvement in their image and reputation and for 11.1% it has led to an increased capacity for developing new products and services.

must integrate all phases of the life cycle (raw materials, production, transport, use, disposal) as well as all essential environmental factors (consumption, materials, emissions, waste, etc.) for each phase. Through its application, it is possible to calculate the degree of efficiency needed to minimise costs over the life cycle as well as for the end consumer.

The differentiation of Basque industry hinges on, among other things, the integration of complex and competitive technologies, which involves promoting the incorporation of these technologies into the supply chain. This may prove especially difficult for those suppliers who have relatively weak innovation

systems at their disposal. This will be one of the key challenges posed by product ecodesign.

On a general level, the challenge for the European Union will be to apply rational policies which break down barriers such as negative externalities associated with the environment (more costs, the need for infrastructure, change of routines, etc.); the gap in expert knowledge of eco-efficiency and sector-specific technology; specific barriers relating to the prevalent technologies and designs in the market; poorly-focused public incentives; environmental awareness of consumers, etc.

Table 2

Currently, what are the two most important objectives your firm has set for improving its competitiveness? (total of the 2 responses) %

Source: 2011 Industrial Ecobarometer, prepared by the Basque Government’s Ministry for the Environment.

Firm personnel

Less than 50 Between 50 and 249 250 or moretotal

Cost reductions 56 46 39 52

Increase in productivity 44 47 31 44

Opening up new markets and/or internationalisation 38 42 46 39

Incorporation of technology and innovation 26 34 39 28

Availability of funding 16 13 43 15

Improving human capital 9 17 8 11

Cooperation and alliances with other firms 5 1 - 4

Does not know/Does not answer 1 - 8 1

Others 1 1 - 1

public-private collaboration: basque raw materials


Eco-innovation is defined as “any form of innovation that reduces environmental impacts and optimises the use of resources”. The only way this can be executed to optimum effect is via solid partnerships between the government – which establishes the framework which in turn generates and stimulates environmental demand – and the private sector – which transfers eco-innovation to the market, thereby generating wealth and employment –.

public-private collaboration: basque raw materials

business cooperation, and the Basque Government’s efforts in promoting innovation, it is clear that there are huge opportunities for continued eco-innovation in the region.

In essence, the Basque Country meets all of the necessary conditions to become a region in which eco-innovation is used as a tool for maximising the competitiveness of its industry, founded on a bedrock of public-private collaboration. This aligns with one of the objectives set out by the Basque Government, which is that of helping the Basque Country to become a point of reference in Europe as regards the environmental innovation of products and services.

The Basque Country, despite being a small region, holds significant industrial weight in Spain’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This is thanks to the sophisticated business culture in the region, complimented by a clear commitment to exporting, considerable scientific-technological capabilities, and a market leader position in manufacturing sectors including electrical equipment, machinery, and transport.

Taking into consideration the extensive network of technological infrastructure built by the technology centres, the universities and the rest of the Basque Country’s science and technology network, the powerful business network and clusters which facilitate


País vasco

Océano Atlántico

Río Ebro

Río Bayas

Río Zadorra

Lago de Urrunaga

Lago de Ullivari

Castillay León

La Rioja

Navarra

CantabriaBilbao

Getxo

50 Km

Donosti- San Sebastián

Vitoria-Gasteiz

7,234.8 km2 surface area.

251 municipalities.

2.1 million inhabitants

GDP of 64.7 billion euros, 29 points above the EU-27 average.

21.3% of Basque GDP comes from the industrial sector, compared with the EU-27 average of 17.1%.

The sectors which hold the greatest sway within the Basque Country as regards Added Value are: metallurgy and metal products, electrical energy, gas and vapour, rubber and plastics, and transport machinery and materials.

84.8% of Basque industry uses technological content, 29.4% of which is medium-high or high level.

38% of total spending on innovation activities was carried out by industrial firms, equating to a total of 980 million euro.

48.4% of total spending on technological innovation activities carried out by the industry was allocated to internal R+D, followed by 24.1% dedicated to the purchasing of machinery and 20.8% allocated to external R+D.

The percentage of private R+D spending in relation to total GDP is 1.34% in the Basque Autonomous Community, compared with 1.17% in the EU-27.

The Basque Autonomous Community occupies 15th place in the EU-27 in the European Innovation index.

There are 11,000 researchers in the Basque Network of Science and Technology.

26 Basque organisations have received EFQM Excellence Awards, a total which is surpassed only by the leading countries – Germany and the UK.

Source: Eustat, Orkestra, Ihobe, Euskalit.

the Basque country in numbers

public-private collaboration: basque raw materials ecodesign made in euskadi 19

only 28.2% of industrial firms carry out non-technological innovation, in organisational or commercial terms. Basque firms allocate 0.64% of their turnover to non-technological innovation, just 0.07 points above the EU average. The electrical materials and equipment sector stands out in particular in this regard (see Figure 2).

The three key dimensions of Basque innovation are human resources, the research system, and firm investments. In each of these areas, the Basque Country performs higher than the EU-27 average (see Table 2).

The human resources dimension identifies the availability of highly-qualified people as a key tool for innovation in the Basque Country. The dimension referring to the openness, excellence and attractiveness of the research system measures the international competitiveness of the science base. As regards Firm investments, a dimension which measures R+D and innovation spending by firms, the most notable figure is for ‘R&D expenditure in the business sector as % of GDP’, with 1.60% in the Basque Country compared with the European average of 1.23%.

There are other indicators for which the Basque Country scores results similar to the EU average, one of which is the prevalence of SME’s introducing product or process

The main innovation-supporting programmes and instruments in the Basque Country have been developed by the Basque Government, which has invested heavily in technological research and development – and to a lesser extent in demonstration and other market-based innovation activities – with a particular focus on R&D&I in the industrial and manufacturing sectors.

Industry represents 38.1% of total spending on R+D in the Basque Autonomous Community, almost half of which is allocated to internal R+D, followed by the acquisition of machinery and external R+D. As regards individual sectors, the most active have been the following: transport materials, metallurgy, electronic products and electrical materials.

Basque firms are concerned with technological innovation as it applies to both products and processes, almost always founded on a commitment to incremental innovation. As evidence of this, 47% of Basque industrial firms with more than 9 employees have carried out some form of technological innovation; 32% of firms have carried out innovation as it applies to their business processes, while 27.6% have engaged in product innovation. In order to face the challenges that lie ahead, it is essential to compliment this work with communication, thereby better taking advantage of other types of innovation, since

Figure 2

IUS Innovation Union Scoreboard 2013. Basque Autonomous Community and EU-27

Source: Eustat and European Commission. (Note: The grey columns refer to values from the previous year, according to IUS 2013).

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4.1. Environmental innovation


organisational innovation as regards traditional programmes – for example, the digitalisation of services – has not taken off as was hoped and is progressing relatively slowly.

The proportion of all innovation activities that are environment-related is extremely significant, but it is necessary to make improvements in how this environmental innovation is measured holistically; this is because the level of environmental innovation actually suffers in the absence of evaluation and systematic monitoring.

Public interest and pressure can also serve as powerful catalysts for eco-innovation. Communities, value chains, clusters, and other similar initiatives seem to be fertile breeding ground for stimulating eco-innovation, as detailed in the report “The Basque Country, Eco-innovation Pole”, which was jointly compiled by several public organisations belonging to the Basque Government: the Basque Business Development Agency (SPRI), Ihobe, the Basque Energy Board (EVE), and Innobasque. Providing training in environmental technologies and services is key to the growth of eco-innovation activities and the subsequent tangible visibility of their results, but it is also crucial to foster greater collaboration between industrial firms and knowledge-intensive firms with expertise in R+D and other specialised fields.

innovations. In view of this information, and remaining closely aware that there are dimensions which must be improved in order to continue progressing in this respect, the Basque Country has established a solid foundation moving forward. In fact, 44.8% of firms who apply ecodesign report an increase in R+D spending of ‘quite a lot’ or ‘a lot’ over the past three years.

In order to ensure that policies supporting eco-innovation are effective, a two-pronged approach is recommended: on one hand, support for investment can be provided (supply); on the other hand, incentives can be offered to create markets for innovative products and services (demand). As regards eco-innovation, most countries have placed greater emphasis on the implementation of supply-related policies, such as the support provided for R+D, to networks and associations, and to demonstration and commercialisation. In terms of measures that have been implemented to bolster demand, information services are the most common.

The specific analysis of eco-innovation in the Basque Country makes it possible to identify some shortcomings in the stages related to industrialisation. This is due to the lack of specialist agents offering support during these phases, which include infrastructure, demonstration, and others. In addition,

Table 2

Innovation Union Scoreboard (IUS) 2011. Blocks and dimensions. Composite index

Source: Estat and European Commission

UE-27 Basque autonomous community Spain

Innovation Union Scoreboard (IUS 2013) 0,54 0,48 0,41

Enablers 0,53 0,50 0,46Human resources 0,56 0,62 0,43Research system 0,48 0,47 0,49Finance and support 0,59 0,36 0,44

Firm activities 0,51 0,45 0,33Firm investments 0,41 0,44 0,22Linkages and entrepreneurship 0,53 0,50 0,30Intellectual assets 0,56 0,43 0,40

Outputs 0,59 0,50 0,45Innovators 0,57 0,42 0,32Economic effects 0,60 0,53 0,51


Table 2

Innovation Union Scoreboard (IUS) 2011. Blocks and dimensions. Composite index

Basque industry, closely attuned to the current economic situation, has taken positive steps by entering new international markets, which has consequently meant having to adapt to the characteristics of these new markets. As regards ecodesign, 12.6% of firms who decided to work in this field did so with the aim of accessing new markets.

However, in view of this data and taking into consideration the industrial profile of the Basque Country, it could be argued that the results still leave room for improvement. Therefore, the current exploitation strategies must be accompanied by others which facilitate access to markets with high growth potential. To this end, the challenge facing Basque firms will be to draw on strong public-private partnerships so as to foster an inter-organisational, inter-sector, critical mass.

Basque firms have set their sights firmly on internationalisation. This ethos is reflected in the following statistics, provided by the Basque Government’s public organisation SPRI (The Basque Business Development Agency) for 2011:

— The weight of exports in overall GDP rose by five points to 32%.

— There was a 4% increase in the number of firms who exported goods/services and an increase of 18% in total export activity.

— 446 Basque firms have established a business presence outside our borders, and 180 have established production plants in foreign markets.

— The presence of Basque firms in international markets comprises 1,184 commercial establishments and 361 production plants.

— The weight of Basque foreign investment in GDP has grown by 144% since 2010.

Gitma carried out a product life cycle analysis, generating a new model which has led to a 75% reduction in their impact on the environment, according to the aggregate environmental indicator EU-25 GLOBAL. This improvement was achieved by:

• Replacing the raw materials used in the parts with PE and redesigning the parts.

• Labelling the PE pieces and indicating the materials used, in order to make them easier to identify at the product’s end-of-life.

• Using different types of materials that are separable and identifiable at the end of the product’s life.

• Including a manual with each product which includes recommendations on how to take care of the product.

• Designing products with the least number of production stages possible, thereby minimising the number of different parts and favouring a modular design process.

www.gitma.es

Good practice

Gitma-Asua BG 96, S.L.

4.2. opening up new markets


others towards the introduction of ecodesign. This predisposition can be seen to be determined by the firms’ design capacity, external and internal motivating factors, and also by the actual environmental impact of the product in question. Below is a qualitative table of the importance of industrial sectors as regards ecodesign activities (see Table 3).

4.3. Design capacityIf we take a progressive corporate culture and a strong position as regards innovation, and combine these with an ability on the parts of firms themselves to work on the design of their products, it seems clear that ecodesign can be justifiably considered to be one of the most attractive options for boosting eco-innovation, while helping firms to enter new markets in the process.

Indeed, according to the Industrial Ecobarometer 2011, compiled by the Basque Department of the Environment, the importance of providing green products and services has grown substantially in recent years and a large proportion of Basque industry is now taking advantage of this opportunity. More than 40% of Basque firms have effected environmental improvements to their products in the last three years, compared with a figure of 12% recorded in previous studies, and 31% have gone green.

According to the ecodesign survey that we mentioned earlier, the reasons stated by Basque firms for engaging in ecodesign were as follows: the personal vision of senior management (27.7%), the anticipation of future legislation (21.1%), and pressure from competitors (14.5%). However, there are industrial sectors which can be considered more inclined than

“37% of industrial firms in the Basque autonomous community state that over the last 3 years, innovation in products and services that reduce their environmental impact and make it possible to optimise resources, has been ‘very’ or ‘quite’ important to them. In the case of firms affected by the ErP Directive, that percentage sits at 52%, while for firms who carry out r&D&I, the percentage rises to 60%.”Source: : Industrial Ecobarometer 2011, compiled by the Basque Department of the Environment.

By applying ecodesign methodologies to the NX4 electrical discharge machine NX 4, and by substituting the guarding for a visible bench design, the following environmental improvements were achieved:

— A 58.7% reduction in the consumption of metal sheeting— A 22.4% reduction in the use of cast metals— A reduction in the consumption of plastic materials - in specific a

30.7% reduction in polyester and a 66.7% reduction in PET.— A total reduction in the total environmental impact of more than 10%.

www.onaedm.com

Good practice

Die sinking electrical discharge machine NX4


Table 3

A breakdown of the leading Basque industrial sectors in regards to ecodesign

Product design capacity

contributions to reducing environmental impact, divided by sector

External driving forces

Internal driving forces

Food

Electrical materials and energy-related materials (erp)

packaging

Design engineering / architecture studios

Machine tools

Construction materials

Furniture

Chemicals

Transportmaterials

Average-high

High

Average

High

High

Average

High

Average-high

Average-low

Average

High

Average

High

Average-low

Average

Average-low

Average

• Meconsumer market• Green public procurement

• WEEE regulations• ErP regulations• Competitors

• Packaging regulations• Competitors

• Private firm market• Green public procurement

• List of clean technologies• Competitiveness

• Standardisation• Green public procurement

• Furniture market restructuring• Sustainable forests certification• Green public procurement

• REACH regulation• Civic responsibility regulations

• Client demands end-of-life vehicle regulations

• Competitors

Innovation

InnovationCosts

Costs

DifferentiationCosts (long-term)

InnovationSafety at work

Innovation

CostsInnovation DesignImageCosts

Social image

Innovation (without design capacity)costsinnovation


Prodex® panels, certified for use as natural wood exteriors, were produced after a preliminary life cycle analysis, and they have achieved the following advantages and improvements:

• Increased durability: by developing a new protection film for the panels (improving the environmental impact by up to 87%).

• The use of a 100%-recycled film: The film which was previously used on the back side of the products has been replaced with a plastic film made from 100% recycled products. The improvement associated with this measure is 0.27%.

• Reduction in the weight of packaging waste: The metal banding has been replaced by natural plastic banding in order to reduce its weight.

• The introduction of a finer temporary film. It has been replaced with a finer film, maintaining the same characteristics (striping, hits and galling).

• The reuse of the gluing machine wastewater as a raw material. An environmental improvement in the materials extraction process of 4.2%.

• Replacement of the kraft paper in the central nucleus with a different, recycled paper, which equates to an improvement of 22.9% in the environmental impact generated during the production phase.

www.prodema.com

Good practice

Prodex® panels

Orona, after carrying out a simplified analysis, decided to road-test ecodesign on one of their products – the ORONA lift model 3G 1063. Their test led to the creation of a new lift model – the ORONA 3G 1015, which improves the overall environmental performance of the product by 19%, including a 22% reduction in the product’s energy consumption during the use phase. ORONA continues to work towards creating solutions that enable them to achieve optimum efficiency from their lifts, such as low-energy drive, efficient lighting systems, automatic lift car lighting, and regenerative systems which are able to reuse up to 45% of the energy consumed by the engines.

At present, 61.29% of the products manufactured by Orona are ecodesigned.

http://www.orona.es

Good practice

ORONA Lift 3G 1063 / ORONA 3G 1015


DTS OABE, after a tireless search for new raw materials and composites that would help them to lower the classification of their products while preserving – and even improving – their efficiency, produced a lacquer insecticide known as NUPILAC HIDRO AZM GREEN (previously NUPILAC HIDRO).

This product is a lacquer insecticide formulated without solvents. It is used to control insects by means of localised application. The benefits of this product over traditional insecticides are:

CONVENTIONAL NUpILAC LACqUERS HIDRO AZM

Inhalation toxicity High None

Skin toxicity High None

Flammability High None

Reentry time Between 24 and 48 hours Zero

VOC emission High None

www.dts-oabe.com

Good practice

Nupilac Hidro AzM Green

the evolution of ecodesign in the basque country

Ecodesign first became a factor in the Basque Country in 1999, a year in which various industrial firms began to display an interest in this methodology.


However, the true success of this journey can best be measured by the practical and real application of ecodesign that a great many Basque firms have achieved. The Basque Government has mirrored the steady progression of Basque firms, attempting to foster ecodesign by introducing bespoke policies and initiatives and supporting these with other complimentary policies aimed at boosting market demand for products/services that are more respectful of the environment.

The development of ecodesign in the Basque Country can be broken down into various different areas:

— Generation of knowledge and support tools.— Promotion of market-based instruments.— Public support programmes. — International Presence.— Creation of the Basque Ecodesign Center.

the evolution of ecodesign in the basque country

The Basque Government’s Public Environmental Management Company, aware of this demand, launched a series of pilot projects with these firms, which resulted in the development of an ecodesign methodology that was eventually published in the ““Manual on Ecodesign. 7 steps for Implementation”. This publication was edited by Ihobe, and it has been widely embraced by the industrial community, as demonstrated by the number of times it has been downloaded from the www.ihobe.net website.

Starting in 1999 and continuing in the present day, the drive to implement ecodesign in the Basque Country has not slowed. Over the past 15 years, the Basque Country has generated a significant ecodesign knowledge base, as well as creating industry support tools, with the aim of placing Basque industry in an advantageous position over other regions.


generation of knowledge

In 1999, with the aim of satisfying the needs of Basque industry in the field of ecodesign, the Basque Government’s public environmental management company Ihobe carried out a study of existing European methodologies in this domain with a view to subsequently adapting them to fit the Basque industry. Working alongside the Delft University of Technology (TUDelft), Syntens Innovation Network Holland, the Wuppertal Institute in Germany and the ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering, Ihobe published the “Manual on Ecodesign – 7 steps for implementation”, a basic tool for applying an ecodesign methodology.

This manual was followed by the publication of several sector-specific guides for the following sectors: Electrical-Electronic, Packaging, Furniture, Construction Materials, Automotive Parts, Street Furniture, Machine Tools and Textiles.

In addition to these publications, much other work has been carried out that has been of great use to firms, such as:

— “Environmental product labelling. Guide to environmental criteria for product improvement”.

— “Everything you need to know about the Eup/ErP Directive”.

— “A regular newsletter containing information about the ErP Directive”.

— “Life Cycle Assessment and Carbon Footprint Calculation. Two ways of measuring the environmental impact of a product”.

— “Keys to Ecodesign. Challenges and opportunities in industrial sectors”.

Over the course of this period, and with the aim of supporting Basque firms to incorporate product environmental innovation methods into their everyday activities, Basque institutions have been generating knowledge and making support services available to firms.

These tools and support services have been closely tailored to meet the emerging demands of the firms themselves. The AIDAR approach (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action, and Recognition) has been applied on a general level, so that the organisations themselves have support tools at their disposal that are tailored to their individual needs, thereby helping them to continue to make steady progress.

5.1. generation of knowledge and support tools

Figure 2

The evolution of tools, services,and activities in the field of ecodesign

Pilotprojects

Basicmethodology

Mass promotionof services

Sector-specificspecialist manuals

traIn

Ing

rEcognIt

Ion

Activation and creationof demand

23.8% of all ecodesign work carried out by firms has been executed with the help of the Sector-Specific Ecodesign Manuals, compiled and edited by Ihobe.Source: “Economic Benefits of Ecodesign in Europe – the Basque Country” survey conducted by Ihobe.

the evolution of ecodesign in the basque country ecodesign made in euskadi 29

Basque Country (UPV-EHU). The creation of this Classroom was possible thanks to collaboration between the above-named Bilbao Technical School of Engineering, the Basque Government through its public environmental management company Ihobe, and BEAZ Bizkaia (then known as the ‘Centro de Diseño Industrial DZ’), a public organisation which falls under the auspices of the Vizcaya Provincial Council’s Department of Economic Promotion.

Later, starting in the year 2007 and lasting for 3 years, the second Ecodesign Classroom was launched, with headquarters in the University of Mondragón’s Faculty of Engineering. This second Ecodesign Classroom was run not only by the University of Mondragón, but also in collaboration with Gipuzkoa Provincial Council’s Department of Sustainable Development.

The decision to create these Ecodesign Classrooms arose from collaborative work between various public agents; the goal of the Classrooms is to establish channels of collaboration between the university and the industrial sector with the aim of improving the competitiveness and environmental performance of Basque firms.

This project, as well as training future product development engineers in the principles of ecodesign, aims to achieve the following objectives, among others:

— Create updated information tools for the environmental improvement of products;

— Develop research projects, as a basis for providing training and disseminating information regarding the environmental improvement of industrial products;

— Work in cooperation with the industrial sector and with other European universities in order to increase the success of the initiative.

Over the course of 12 years of the Ecodesign Classroom, projects have been carried out with 73 firms, and 112 students have been trained in ecodesign.

training and dissemination

Since the beginnings of ecodesign in the Basque Country in 1999, regular technical and training events have been held, focusing on this methodology and other related ones. The aim of these events has been to improve the professional capacity of technical staff and to provide them with knowledge about the latest trends in this discipline.

One such technical event is the “Bilbao Ecodesign Meeting”, an international ecodesign event which in its successive editions has attracted leading firms with extensive experience in the application of ecodesign, the Basque Government as a key supporter of this methodology, the University of the Basque Country, and a vast number of specialists in the field.

These are the events that have been held to date:

— Bilbao Ecodesign Meeting 2011: 9th November 2011 (Palacio Euskalduna – Bilbao).

— Environmental product & building Innovation 2010: 22nd April 2010 (Palacio Euskalduna – Bilbao).

— Environmental product & building Innovation 2008: 26th November 2008 (BEC - Bilbao Exhibition Centre - Barakaldo).

— 2nd Forum on the Environmental Innovation of Products: how to anticipate future Ecodesign demands: 31st May 2006 (BEC - Bilbao Exhibition Centre - Barakaldo).

— 1st Forum on Ecodesign and the Environmental Innovation of Products: 4th June 2004 (Parque Tecnológico de Álava/Vitoria-Gasteiz).

Similarly, another key aspect of ecodesign training concerns young people: many important projects have been carried out with university students, the most significant of which has been the Ecodesign Classroom.

One of the first needs that was detected when beginning to implement ecodesign in firms was that of helping professionals to acquire ecodesign knowledge. This situation led to the 2002 launch of the Ecodesign Classroom in the Basque Country, with headquarters in the Bilbao Technical School of Engineering, belonging to the University of the


Ecodesign Services

In order to ensure that ecodesign knowledge is transferred effectively to firms throughout the Basque Country, the Basque Government’s Department of the Environment, through its public environmental management company Ihobe, has made a catalogue of services available from 2004 onwards. The aim of these services has been to offer strategic criteria and technical support to the industrial fabric in the Basque Autonomous Community, tailored to the specific needs of each organisation. The services included in this catalogue are: Supporting action:— Ecodesign classroom.— More eco-friendly product.— Implementation of the UNE-EN ISO 14006

ecodesign management system.— Preparation of Environmental Product Declarations

(EPD’s).— Support in the decision-making process.— Advanced training courses.

Information, guidance and tools:— Workshops.— Website: www.productosostenible.net— Technical tools: guides and manuals.

Recognition of environmental excellence:— Practical cases of environment excellency.— European Business Awards for the Environment.

recognition

In order to showcase the efforts made by firms who have decided to implement ecodesign, various certifications have been drawn up in order to publicise as much as possible the activities that have been carried out.

Since 2004, as we have mentioned, technical events and conferences featuring participants from all over the world have taken place in the Basque Country. The aim of these events has been to showcase the work and progress achieved by our firms and to pinpoint the latest trends in ecodesign. Another area of action has involved supporting firms in the European Environment Awards, as well as compiling publications of the leading best practice cases of environmental excellence.


In order to achieve tangible progress and success in the field of ecodesign, it is essential to ensure that the market demands environmentally-sounder products that go beyond merely complying with the legal requirements set out by environmental legislation governing products. To achieve this, it is necessary to avail of regulatory market-based instruments which lend rigour and objectivity to the information provided and which make it possible to draw comparisons between products in the same sector.

The regulatory instruments that perform these tasks are the following:

— The UNE-EN ISO 14006 Standard. — Environmental Product Declarations. — The European Union Ecolabel.— Ecological Footprints (Carbon and Water).

5.2. the promotion of market-based instruments

ISO 14006

Life cycle

thinking

Environmental Product

Declaration

Ecological Footprints

(Carbon and Water)

EU Ecolabel

Instruments

Market / Competitiveness

The application of the ecodesign methodology caters to the demand by clients and the general public for more sustainable practices, in addition to representing an environmental improvement in the performance of buildings/residential areas. Saitec’s unwavering commitment to this way of working has been rewarded with the Ecodesign Certificate, in accordance with the UNE-EN ISO 14006 standard.

Breakdown of the construction and renovation project, and the improvement of the sewage and residential networks on Ollarretxe street. The following environmental improvements have been introduced:— 25.87% reduction in annual energy consumption. — A reduction in light pollution of more than 75%. — A 9% reduction in the consumption of raw materials.

www.saitec.es

Good practice

Construction and renovation project and improvement of the sewage and residential networks on Ollarretxe street

Figure 4

Regulatory framework to ensure demand for better environmental products


Figure 5

The current relationship between ISO 14001, ISO 9001, ISO/RU 14062, IEC 62430 and UNE-EN ISO 14006 and the functional areas of knowledge

Source: UNE-EN ISO 14006:2011 standard

Design Management system

Environment

ISO 9001

IEC

624

30

ISO

/TR

1406

2 ISO 14001

ISO 14006

UNE-EN ISO 14006:2011

The UNE-EN ISO 14006 standard.- Environmental Management Systems. This standard is concerned with the design and development of products and services (Ecodesign), and serves as a tool for recognising those firms that incorporate these principles into their work.

The beginning of the new millennium saw a strong demand by firms for a standard which would set out a framework for an ecodesign management system, thereby facilitating the incorporation of the environmental factor into the design of their products and also presenting them with an opportunity to gain an external quality certificate for their eco-friendly work. In order for this last point to come to fruition, it is necessary to bring in independent, third-party auditors to audit firms’ management systems. This demand led to the creation of the UNE 150301 Standard for “Environmental management of design and development process. Design for environment”. This standard describes the ecodesign system and is compatible with other ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 systems that are habitually used by firms.

In the year 2008, the International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) began the process of creating a new International Standard for ecodesign based on the Spanish UNE 150301 Standard. The ISO/TC 207/SC1/WG4 Committee was set up, featuring participation from Ihobe, and the result was the creation of the second Spanish standard (UNE), which eventually became the international UNE-EN ISO standard 14006:2011. To date, this international standard has been awarded to 100 firms in the Basque Country (see Figure 5).


Environmental Product Declaration

Environmental Product Declarations provide firms and clients with a transparent environmental information system for products that makes it possible to compare products with others in the same category by applying a series of specific criteria. By their very nature, these types of systems aim to serve as information exchange tools for use between firms and their clients, and not for the typical end consumer, since the information that the EPD contains is highly technical and detailed.

These eco-labelling systems form part of the Type III Environmental Label systems – Environmental Product Declaration, or EPD, which are regulated by the ISO 14025 Standard. They differ from the two other systems regulated by the ISO 14020 standards in that they do not set out environmental criteria or minimum values to be met; instead, they identify environmental parameters/aspects about which it is necessary to provide information in order to build a picture of environmental behaviour.

These programmes are created in line with the requirements set out by the ISO 14025, and they establish rules and procedures in a series of documents entitled Product Category Rules (PCR).

Organisations exist throughout the world who help firms to develop their PCR in order to attain EPD-certified status. The aim of these organisations is to ensure that the EPD’s that exist in the market follow a series of shared «rules» as regards how they are drawn up and worded. As a result of this work, it has been possible to develop EPD’s of proven validity in different regions throughout the world. Out of all of these systems, the most recognised one is the Environmental Product Declaration, which was created by the Swedish firm Environdec.

As can be observed below, firms in the Basque Country have been granted the 4th largest number of EPD’s by the Swedish International EPD® system, accounting for a total of 6% of all Declarations awarded.

the European Union Ecolabel

Created by the European Commission, the European Union Ecolabel aims to promote products that have the capacity to reduce adverse environmental effects, in comparison with other products in the same category. It is in itself a recognition of those products that fulfil standards of excellence that go far above and beyond the requirements set out by legislation.

This label is aimed in particular at simple, everyday-use products and its end client is the high-street shopper. It does not cover products in the food and drinks sector. Since December 2008, the Basque Government has been responsible for administering the EU ecolabel in the Basque Autonomous Community.

The EU Ecolabel is recognised throughout the European Union, as well as in Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland. It establishes as a requirement that the product be examined by an independent body; it also ascertains the overall effects that the product exerts on the environment throughout its entire life cycle, from the extraction of the raw materials right up until it reaches its final destination. 117 Basque products, spread over 16 firms, currently hold this environmental quality distinction.

The categories of products/services that make up the EU Ecolabel are the following:

1. Soaps and shampoos.2. All purpose cleaners, and cleaners for kitchens

and bathrooms.3. Dishwasher detergents.4. Industrial and institutional automatic dishwasher

detergents.5. Hand dishwasher detergents.6. Laundry Detergents.7. Industrial and institutional laundry detergents.8. Textile products.9. Footwear.


Ecological Footprints (carbon and Water)

The Ecological Footprints (Carbon / Water), are considered as tools for carrying out linear environmental assessments that provide information about quantifiable environmental impacts based on a single indicator. This indicator could refer to greenhouse gas emissions (carbon footprint), total consumption of water resources (water footprint), or the total equivalent land size (ecological footprint).

All of these are easy-to-understand tools which enable firms to obtain an idea of the main environmental effects of products and services. They also help end consumers in the food and drinks sector to evaluate and compare products.

In recent years, fuelled by increasing concern over the environmental ramifications of global warming and the greenhouse effect, the most recognised certification systems are those that are concerned with calculating the carbon footprints of products and services. The Carbon Footprint is used to describe the calculation of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with organisations, events, activities or the life cycle of a product, in order to determine their effect on climate change.

However, it is «dangerous» to view the environmental impact of a product/service based on only one environmental impact category (in this case, the potential impact on global warming). By only paying attention to just one category when analysing the environmental impact of a system, there is a risk that other environmental impacts will be overlooked. For example, it is possible that a system under analysis may not present any concerns as regards CO2 emissions, but that the system is causing harm to the environment in another category. The Environmental Footprint has been created for this reason: it aims to offer a vision that includes all impact categories.

10. Indoor paints and varnishes11. Imaging equipment12. Personal computers13. Portable Computers14. Television sets15. Wooden floor coverings16. Hard coverings17. Soft (textile) floor coverings18. Wooden furniture19. Soil improvers20. Light bulbs21. Heat pumps22. Water-based heaters23. Lubricants24. Bed mattresses25. Sanitary tapware26. Flushing toilets and urinals27. Converted paper products28. Newsprint paper29. Printed paper30. Copying and graphic paper 31. Tissue Paper 32. Camp site services33. Tourist accommodation services


— Development of an Ecodesign Methodology’, contained in the Ecodesign Manual, and a case study depicting the successful experiences of 4 firms.

— Ecodesign Classroom in the Bilbao School of Engineering. Joint initiative carried out by DZ-Diseño, the University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU), and the Basque Government’s public environmental management company, Ihobe.

— Approval of the UNE 150301 quality standard (now known as UNE-EN ISO 14006) measuring the integration of environmental criteria in the design of products and services.

— Guidance, training and information activities.

Eco-Efficiency Programme for Basque companies 2010-2014

Aware of the current economic situation, the Basque Government has promoted the Eco-Efficiency programme for Basque Companies 2010-2014 in recent years. The programme is rooted in a context in which cost-saving, resource efficiency, technological innovation and greener product and service design will chart the path of the Basque economy in the coming years.

This programme contributes to the transformation of the Basque industrial fabric and seeks to make it more eco-efficient, innovative and sustainable by fostering collaborative projects aimed at promoting environmental activities as a tool with which firms can increase their competitiveness. The programme also promotes eco-innovation projects, focusing primarily on ecodesign and green public procurement.

This programme will enable firms in the Basque Autonomous Community to increase their competitiveness and to place themselves in an advantageous position in the face of the emerging challenges in Europe.

5.3. Public support programmesThe role played by ecodesign in achieving the aims of European and state policies regarding eco-innovation is that of helping to convince local governments to draw up plans and strategies aimed at promoting its use.

In the Basque Country in recent years, the following public programmes have been launched, and they have so far proven crucial to the development and implementation of activities aimed at improving the environmental performances of products in firms: Basque Programme for the promotion of ecodesign (2004-2006)

In May 2004, the Basque Autonomous Community published the Basque Programme for the Promotion of Ecodesign (2004-2006), with the aim of attending to the different European environmental policies (Basque Environmental Strategy for Sustainable Development (2002-2020), Integrated Product Policy, and the Sixth Environment Action Programme of the European Community).

The main objective of the Basque Programme for the Promotion of Ecodesign (2004-2006) was to enable firms to apply environmental innovation to their products, placing at their disposal a series of bespoke action-oriented services.

The programme was founded on a solid knowledge base, which was the fruit of Ihobe’s previous work:


In the last three funding programmes, there have been specific lines of funding for ecodesign, ecolabels, carbon footprint, and even forest certification. As regards the proportion of grants allocated to ecodesign, ecolabelling and carbon footprint, they represented almost 12% of all subsidised projects in 2012, compared with 4% in 2010. This represented a significant boost in governmental economic support for these type of projects.

green employment programme – lanbide

Lanbide, the Basque Employment Service, launched the Basque Green Employment Programme 2012-2013 in order to fund activities relating to green employment. The purpose of the programme was to improve the employability of highly-qualified, young unemployed people by providing grants as well as training programmes and apprenticeships.

This programme was designed to help young people access specialist training and to subsequently apply their newly-acquired knowledge in apprenticeship positions under the tutelage of technical experts. The aim is that firms will be able to accelerate the implementation of eco-innovative projects while young people acquire invaluable work experience, easing their eventual entry into the labour market. Upon the launch of the programme, 37% of the unemployed young people began placements immediately, while a further 17 engaged in entrepreneurial activities. More than 500 young people, in addition to receiving training in emerging green disciplines, have carried out eco-innovative projects. 19% of the projects carried out were related to ecodesign.

the Basque government’s green Public Procurement Programme 2011-2014

As mentioned earlier, and in accordance with EC directives, the supply of products which respect all elements of our natural environment must necessarily be accompanied by an equal demand for such products.

Public Environmental Management Company Ihobe has been promoting green public procurement since 2005, working closely with different work groups at local, provincial, regional, and government level. The result of all this work is the ”Guide to Green Public Procurement”, published in 2008. This tireless work to increase demand for green products/services is supported by the commitment of the Basque Government, in the form of the ”Basque Government Green Public Procurement Programme 2011-2014”. The aim of this programme was to ensure that by 2014, the entirety of public procurement carried out by the Basque Government and associated bodies would incorporate green public procurement criteria for specific products/services as identified in the programme itself.

Subsidies – sources of funding

Funding has become a key tool – even more so given the current economic climate – for the promotion of ecodesign.

Despite the existing sources of funding at national and European level, the Basque Government has also contributed significantly to ecodesign and related work by launching its own subsidy programmes. Examples include the Subsidies to firms who invest in the protection of the environment, which is funded by the Basque Government’s Department of Environment & Regional Planning.


5.4. International presenceSince the environmental improvement of products is inexorably linked to the competitiveness of firms, the eco-design related activities carried out in the Basque Country needed an international visibility that would make it possible to align them with other initiatives in the global marketplace. This international presence has made it possible to form networks and to acquire knowledge of trends in product standardisation and legislation, as well as promoting these methodologies on a global scale. Some of the most important activities carried out to date have been the following:

European Forum for Sustainable Production and consumption

In 2004 the European Union decided to organise biannual meetings featuring participation by member states and key European agents. The aim of these forums was to help facilitate and promote the practical implementation of Ecodesign principles in European countries. This forum, initially associated with the Integrated Product Policy, and since 2008 framed within the European Union’s Sustainable Consumption and Production Action Plan, arms the European Commission with a forum for the development, co-ordination, and implementation of ecodesign policies, and also serves as a meeting point for member states to share information about their activities and to offer their points of view.

The Basque Country, through Ihobe, the Basque Government’s Public Environmental Management Company, has attended this forum since its inception, accompanying and supporting the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment.

Since 2013, it has also been a part of the monitoring team for the future Product Environmental Footprint

and Organisational Environmental Footprint. These tools are being developed by the European Commission within the framework of the “Single Market for Green Products Initiative”, which aims to improve the communication of the environmental performance of products sold in Europe and to launch an instrument for comparing the environmental performance of products and organisations.

European network of Ecodesign centres

Five public organisations with expert knowledge in ecodesign founded the European Network of Ecodesign Centres (ENEC) in November 2012 with the principal aim of supporting the sustainability, efficiency, and competitiveness of European industry. Ihobe was the chief driving force behind the formation of this network.

The ENEC is made up of five centres, from a variety of European countries: the Ecodesign Center (Wales, United Kingdom); the Pôle de Eco-conception, from the French region of Rhône Alpes; the Effizienz Agentur NRW (Germany); the OVAM Public Waste Agency of Flanders (Belgium); and the Basque Government’s Environmental Management Company, Ihobe. All of these centres are public bodies, and they boast experience of between 6 and 15 years promoting the environmental design of products and services.

The mission of the ENEC Network is to stimulate demand for ecological design in European firms, and to guarantee that Europe remains at the forefront of ecodesign. It will also provide its members with an additional source of information and a platform for the open exchange of knowledge and experience across all aspects of ecodesign.


Presence in certification committees

In line with the ever-increasing importance that environmental criteria now assume in product standardisation, Ihobe forms part of the Technical Committee for AENOR’s 150 Standardisation, relating to Environmental Management.

As part of this group’s activities, analysis is carried out of the standardisation of environmental management systems and tools. This work can be divided into four sections: SC1 Environmental management systems, SC2 Environmental audit and environmental performance evaluation, SC3 environmental labelling and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), and SC4 Terminology.This work group studies two international committees – the ISO/TC 207 on environmental management, and the CEN/PC 406 on Methodology of ecodesign in mechanical products – and applies the principles in a Spanish context.

This work follows up on a previous project that was carried out between 2001 and 2011, centred on the establishment of the UNE 150301 Standard for “Environmental management of the design and development process. Ecodesign” and the subsequent UNE-EN ISO 14006 standard.- Environmental Management System for the design and development of products and services (Ecodesign). Ihobe was brought on board on this project in the role of national expert.

Driving Ecodesign in Latin america

With the aim of supporting and boosting ecodesign in Latin America, in 2004 the Basque Government signed a partnership agreement with the UN Environment Programme (PNUMA). Some of the fruits of this partnership have included various initiatives aimed at providing technical training to governments, firms and academic institutions in different countries throughout Central and South America.

Some of the most impressive achievements to date include the formation of the Forum of Ministers of Environment for Latin America and the Caribbean, the formation of an ecodesign network of Latin American universities (with a presence in universities in Panama, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Argentina and Chile), and the creation of technical forums and meetings with firms, citizens’ movements and technology centres.


The Basque Ecodesign Center is currently made up of eight partners: CIE Automotive, Eroski, Euskaltel, Fagor, Gamesa, Iberdrola, Ihobe, Ormazabal and Vicinay Cadenas.

To achieve these goals, the BEC’s activities are broken down into the following areas:

— Development of technical projects.— New business opportunities.— Influencing suppliers and helping SME’s. — Internal and external dissemination /

communication.

Because the final ‘recipients’ of the Basque Ecodesign Center’s activities are both industrial clients and end consumers, a future strategy has been devised with a view to expanding into other priority action areas as identified by European legislation, such as capital goods, mobility, and smart cities.

The development of this strategy is also based on ensuring that the market demands environmentally-sounder products that go beyond merely complying with the legal requirements set out by environmental legislation governing products. To achieve this, it is necessary to draw on regulatory instruments which lend rigour and objectivity to the information provided and which make it possible to draw comparisons between products in the same sector. To this end, the Basque Ecodesign Center is going to assume a significant role in the development and application of the following regulatory instruments in the Basque Country: ISO 14006, Environmental Product Declarations, The EU Ecolabel, and the Ecological Footprints (Carbon and Water).

5.5. Basque ecodesign center

The work carried out in recent years by the Basque Government’s Department of Environment & Regional Planning, through its public environmental management company Ihobe, in fostering ecodesign and establishing the Basque Country as a leader in this field brings us to another important achievement: the formation of the Basque Ecodesign Center, on 9th November 2011. The launch of this initiative constitutes one of the major public-private collaboration agreements in southern Europe in the field of ecodesign.

Its aims include:

— Establishing the Basque Country as an advanced region in the field of ecodesign and as a benchmark throughout the European Union.

— Strengthening the competitiveness of the participating firms through the acquisition and application of cutting-edge ecodesign knowledge.

— Stimulating product eco-innovation through partnerships between firms, the University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU) and the top knowledge centres in the world.

— Ensuring that ecodesign is fully integrated into the supply chains of the participating firms.

ecodesign in numbers


Basque firms have been incorporating ecodesign into their work for an average of 4.9 years, which is close to the European average of 5.7 years and greater than the French average of 4.5 years.

As regards product certifications, 51.8% of products possess some type of environmental certification, which is greater than the European average of 47.8%. Source: “Economic Benefits of Ecodesign in Europe – the Basque Country”survey conducted by Ihobe.

6.1. the basque country as one of the leading regions in the field of ecodesign The Basque Country is becoming one of the leading European regions in the field of ecodesign. This is thanks to the long road that has been travelled by Basque industry, the Basque Government, and all other technical bodies in the field of ecodesign, as well as the interactive and collaborative work that these agents have undertaken.

The key to this success has been the positive response on the part of Basque industry in embracing the market-based instruments. This is clearly demonstrated by the results of the ecodesign survey.


Figure 7

Percentage of Environmental Product Declarations by country (2013 data)

Norway 1%

USA 1%

Greece 1%

Other countries 5%

Germany 2%

Czech Republic 2%

Denmark 3%

Rest of Spain 3%

United Kingdom 4%

Switzerland 6%

Sweden 23%

Italy 43%

6%Basque Country

Environmental Product Declarations-EPD

In addition, and in a further demonstration of Basque industry’s commitment to sustainability and to transparency in environmental communication, the Basque Autonomous community holds more Environmental Product Declarations (EPD’s) than any other autonomous community in Spain. In total, Basque firms hold 22 EPD’s, equating to 65% of the total number of EPD’s in Spain, and 6% of the total number in Europe. These figures confirm the Basque Country’s leadership position in the attainment of Environmental Product Declarations awarded by the Environdec International EPD® system, one of the largest and best-recognised systems in the world.

UnE-En ISo 14006

It is important to mention the implementation of the ecodesign management standard in the Basque Country, specifically because of the sterling work of all those agents involved in the creation and implementation of this standard. This has enabled the Basque Country to become the leading autonomous community in Spain in terms of the proportion of firms certified with the UNE-EN ISO 14006 Ecodesign Management Standard. In total, 100 Basque firms hold this certification, which equates to 47% of the total for the whole of Spain.

Figure 6

Geographical distribution of UNE-EN ISO 14006-certified firms. Ecodesign Management Standard (2013 data)

Madrid 9%

Valencia 2%

Andalucia 2%

Others 3%

Source: Own production using data provided by the certified companies.

Source: data obtained from the EDP® system (Environdec - Sweden)

La Rioja 3%

Navarre 11%

Castile and Leon 4%

Catalonia 17%

Asturias 2%

47%Basque Country

ecodesign in numbers ecodesign made in euskadi 43

Italy 161 43 1 Sweden 88 23 2 Switzerland 23 6 3 Basque Country 22 6 4 United Kingdom 14 4 5 Rest of Spain 12 3 6 Denmark 10 3 7 Czech Republic 9 2 8 Germany 9 2 9 Norway 5 1 10 USA 4 1 11 Greece 2 1 12 Other countries 18 5

Total 377 100

Nº of EpD’s

% of

the total Ranking

Table 4

Number of Environmental Product Declarations awarded by the International EPD® system, by country

Tissue paper 53 Interior paints 27 Hand dishwasher detergents 3 All purpose cleaners 31 Tourist accommodation services 1 Soaps and shampoos 2

Total 117

product Group

Nº of products with

the EU Ecolabel the Basque Country

Table 5

The number of Basque products with the EU Ecolabel, by category

the European Union Ecolabel

As regards the European Union Ecolabel, the Basque Country occupies third position in Spain, both in terms of the number of licenses (19), and the number of products (117). This equates to 11% and 10%, respectively.

In terms of this European-Commission-administered certification system, the leading products in the Basque Autonomous Community are interior paints, tissue paper, and all purpose cleaners.

In terms of the environmental promotion of products, the Basque country performs slightly better than the European average, with 92.6% of products being promoted compared with 92.3% in Europe.

Basque firms’ eco-designed products and/or services now account for 28.5% of their revenue. taking into account that the total revenue of all firms surveyed is 3.4 billion euro, the annual revenue figure for these firms’ eco-designed products and services now stands at 952 million euro. Source: “Economic Benefits of Ecodesign in Europe – the Basque Country” survey conducted by Ihobe.


6.2. the application of ecodesign in basque firms. Surveycollaborating firms, by sector

Below are the corresponding percentages for each of the industrial sectors that took part in the ecodesign survey. One of the sectors with the largest environmental impact, and which also probably has the greatest scope for environmental improvement, is the electric and electronic industry, which manufactures the equipment that is used to consume energy. The electric and electronic industry is followed by the urban furniture and facilities sector, an industry which also has a rich tradition in applying ecodesign methodologies.

Motivating factors and difficulties

When evaluating the activities carried out by firms, it is necessary to take into consideration the motives that have led those firms to undertake ecodesign projects in the first place. It is important to ascertain the reasons underlying ecodesign projects and the expectations of all stakeholders, from clients to producers, because it those factors that define the business objectives and the level of ambition and innovation inherent in ecodesign processes.

In general, there is no one factor that motivates firms to engage in ecodesign, and the decision to act may be triggered from within the firm itself (internal factors) or from outside of the firm’s domain (external factors). In the majority of the cases that were evaluated (27.7%) the motivation comes from within the firm, specifically from senior management, which only serves to demonstrate the environmental commitment prevalent within the Basque industrial fabric (see Figure 9).

Other significant motivating factors include the anticipation of future legislation (21.1%), as well as pressure from competitors (14.5%) and accessing new markets (12.6%).

The results that the firm can achieve by engaging in ecodesign, combined with the difficulties that this process can pose for the firm, will exert a significant influence on the decision to undertake an ecodesign project or not.

As regards the difficulties that implementing ecodesign projects have posed for firms, 59.3% of people who engaged in these projects did not encounter any extra problems such as a drain on time, resistance to changes, additional costs, etc.

Figure 8

Breakdown by industrial sector of firms who took part in the survey

Engineering 6,9

Transport and mobility 10,3

Machineryand capitalequipment 10,3

Construction materials 10,3

Urban furniture and facilities 13,8

Others 6,8

Equipment which uses energy

41,4


As regards the remaining 40.7%, those who did encounter problems when executing ecodesign projects stated that the major factor was that of increased costs (33.3%), followed by technical knowledge (26.7%), and market-related factors (13.3%), while others (26.7%) complained of a drain on time, difficulties in compiling data, and data confidentiality.

Financial repercussions

As mentioned at the beginning of this report, the implementation of comprehensive product improvement in organisations’ design processes will have repercussions on their core business activities. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the financial implications and effects that these activities produce in real terms.

The average percentage of gains associated with the development of an eco-designed product or service as opposed to a traditional one is an additional 4.6%, with no firm reporting a reduction in profits as a result of

Figure 9

Main reasons that firms implement ecodesign

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n

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ic

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aini

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2,4 1,80,8

27,7

5

10

15

20

25

30

% r

esp

ons

e

Motivating factors

Figure 10

The effect of ecodesign projects on firms’ profit margins. The Basque Country.

72%Neutral impact on the profit

Profit has been cut 4%

Profit has increased 24%


Additionally:

— In 30.8% of cases, the eco-designed product is more economical during the use phase, and in 21.1% of cases it helps to improve the product’s quality of life (less emissions, less noisy...).

— In 76.9% of cases, the eco-designed product has a sale price equal to that of a traditional product. In 65.4% of cases, the fixed costs associated with ecodesign are the same as for traditional design processes; in 100% of cases, the variable costs associated with eco-designed products such as raw materials and energy, for example, are the same and sometimes less.

Figure 11

Impact of eco-design products on the market share

52%22%

26%

The market share has remained stable

Enabled access to new markets

Our market share has increased

implementing ecodesign. 46.2% of respondents reported an increase in profits thanks to ecodesign, and for 91% of Basque firms, profit margins for eco-designed products over traditional products were reported as being similar or greater.

In general, comparing this data with the information obtained in the survey carried out by enec, the European Network of Ecodesign Centres it is evident that Basque firms’ perceptions of how ecodesgn projects impact on their profit margins are very similar to those of other European firms.

Figure 12

Variable costs associated to ecodesign products (raw materials, electricity, etc.)

The same 58% Lower 42%


Environmental improvements and other benefits

The incorporation of ecodesign in the product development process entails the inclusion of the environmental factor in the different phases of the product’s life, from its design right through to its end-of-life. This process will endow the product with environmental benefits, since it will reduce its overall environmental impact by reducing the effects that we have discussed earlier: a reduction in energy consumption, an increased use of recycled materials, an increased use of more easily-recyclable materials, etc.

Of all the activities that were analysed, it is evident that the majority of firms engaged in ecodesign have reduced their environmental impact primarily through a reduction in the use of raw materials, by 15.6%, followed by a 13.9% reduction in energy consumption in the use phase (see Figure 13).

15,613,9

11,58,2 8,2

42,6

50

40

30

20

10

0

Figure 13

Environmental improvements achieved with ecodesign

Less

raw

m

ater

ial u

sed

Less

ene

rgy

cons

umpt

ion

used

–

use

phas

e

Low

er e

nerg

y co

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n

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pac

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me

and/

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ght

Raw

mat

eria

ls

stat

us

Oth

ers

% r

esp

ons

e

Environmental improvements

Based on the above data, it becomes possible to view the environmental and economic benefits in terms of energy savings which arise from the implementation of ecodesign activities throughout the entire industrial sector in the Basque Country.

The incorporation of ecodesign into the firm’s ethos produces benefits not only on an environmental and economic level, but also in terms of inherent benefits to the organisation itself and to society as a whole. Here are the major non-environmental and -economic benefits identified by firms (see Figure 14).

As well as the environmental benefits arising from product improvement, firms have also identified a number of other advantages. These advantages are displayed in Figure 15 (see Figure 15).

Figure 14

Non-environmental improvements achieved as a result of applying ecodesign

Source: EUSTAT

Bet

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e an

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tion

of th

e co

mpa

ny

Bet

ter

cust

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re

latio

ns

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ater

cap

acity

to

dev

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new

pr

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ts

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hip

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itutio

ns

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the

com

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18,5

11,1

7,4 7,4 7,4

3,7 3,7

42,7

45

40

Non-environmental improvements

35

25

15

5

0

10

20

30

% r

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e


Figure 15

Other advantages arising from ecodesigned products

It’s

mor

e ec

onom

ical

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ring

the

use

phas

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prov

es th

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ality

of l

ife

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ir

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21,1

11,5 11,59,6

5,8

9,7

30,8

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35

25

15

5

0

10

20

30

% o

f re

spo

nses

after the application of ecodesign strategies, firms have achieved an 11.5% reduction in energy consumption per product unit. taking into consideration that the industrial sector consumed 27,034,880 MWh in the year 2011, if all the firms in the sector applied ecodesign strategies, savings of 3,757,848 MWh and around 1,730,000 tonnes of co2 could be achieved in the Basque country alone.Source: “Economic Benefits of Ecodesign in Europe – the Basque Country” survey conducted by Ihobe.


6.3. achievements by basque firmsSince 1999, the Basque Autonomous Community has been helping its firms to incorporate the ecodesign methodology into its everyday activities. This section presents data relating to those firms who have successfully carried out ecodesign, as well as the benefits that the firms have enjoyed as a result of these actions.

The evaluation focuses on a total of 156 firms, all of whom have incorporated some form of ecodesign into their management processes. 46% of these firms belong to the province of Vizcaya, 35% to Gipuzkoa, and 19% to Alava.

These 156 firms have participated in and/or implemented the following ecodesign-related activities:

Figure 16

Geographical location of the firms

55 firms72 firms

29 firms

Gipuzkoa

Bizkaia

Araba-Álava

*True as of 31st December 2013, including firms in the building and architecture sector.

Basque firms working in ecodesign

Basque firms who boast an environmental management system certified with the UNE-EN ISO 14006 ecodesign standard

Nº of Basque EPD’s: Nº of Basque products with the EU ecolabel:

European business awards for the environment (winner or runner-up)

156

100*

22

117

17

Activity Description of activity Nº of firms

ISo 14006UnE-En

conclusionsIn view of everything contained in this report, it is clear to see that the Basque Country has travelled a long and productive road in the area of ecodesign. This work has not been limited to knowledge development: it has also involved the practical and real execution of ecodesign in Basque industry.


It is therefore crucial to continue this good work in order to take full advantage of the positive economic and industrial implications that this philosophy can entail for the Basque economy. All of these years of work, effort, and enthusiasm displayed by all of the agents involved has meant that the Basque Country is now in a solid position when compared with other regions in Europe and even worldwide. However, we must continue working to improve this position and to rubberstamp the Basque Country’s position as a global leader in the Environmental Innovation of Products.

The results achieved by Basque firms serve as evidence of the implementation and consolidation of ecodesign in the Basque Country in recent years, in the form of concrete actions and measures. The success of ecodesign in the Basque Country during this period has only been possible thanks to the work and efforts of all the agents involved: the industrial fabric, the science-technology network, and the Basque Government. It is thanks to this work that we are now able to provide comprehensive evidence of the Basque Country’s leadership in ecodesign in the political, technical, and business domains.

In addition, and particularly in light of the economic situation in which we find ourselves, it is clear that environmental innovation of products is another extremely important means of improving the competitiveness of our firms and helping them to penetrate new markets. Ecdoesign is one of the methodologies that is necessary today in order to promote holistic environmental improvements in firms and in their products and services, so as to successfully adapt to our current socioeconomic climate.

When we consider the industrial capacity of the Basque Country, rooted in strong traditions and defined by inimitable characteristics, as well as the knowledge and commitment of all of the agents involved, it becomes clear that it is crucial to continue promoting and fostering ecodesign among industrial organisations. Not only will this improve the current industrial economic situation, it will also help the Basque Country to become recognised beyond our borders as a leading region in the development of innovative products that are respectful of each and every aspect of the environment. We are perfectly placed to continue progressing in the environmental innovation of Basque products. These statistics are particularly encouraging:

the eco-designed products and/or services in the 29 firms that took part in the survey now account for 28.5% of their revenue. this translates to a real economic volume of 952 million directly associated with products that incorporate environmental innovation.

If all Basque firms were to obtain the same level of energy savings as these 29 firms, it would equate to a saving of 3,757,848 MWh, or 1,730,000 tonnes of co2 compared with the current levels of consumption in the Basque country.

appendix: leading basque firms in ecodesign One of the aims of this document is to showcase and recognise the actions taken by Basque companies in the field of ecodesign.


appendix: leading basque firms in ecodesign

As we have commented earlier, one of the aims of this document is to showcase and recognise the activities that Basque firms have carried out in the area of ecodesign.

The relevant individual datasheets with the key measures of each organisation and the results obtained, along with the basic information of the organisation, are available on the Ihobe website, www.ihobe.net

These are the benchmark sectors mainly associated to manufacturing consumer and industrial goods:

Energy and equipment which uses energy.

Machinery and equipment.

packaging.

Food.

Transport and mobility.

Urban furniture and facilities.

Construction materials.

Chemical products.

Engineering.

Other sectors.


Energy and equipment which uses energy


Firm

ABB pOWER TECHNOLOGy

ABB, S.A. LOW VOLTAGE pRODUCTS. FÁBRICA NIESSEN

AIRLAN, S.A.

AZARO FUNDAZIOA

B.LUX

BSH ELECTRODOMÉSTICOS ESpAÑA

CONSULTORÍA LUMÍNICA

DAISALUX, S.A.

actions taken

· Capacitor Banks

outstanding product

· Niessen Zenit Series

· AIRLAN air-conditioning system FMA series

· Hybrid system for natural lighting

· ZENETE urban lighting

· Ecodesigned irons and ironing centres

· Energy and environmental audit manual for public lighting

· Lens, Orto emergency lights, and the Alzir beacon lighting series

ISo 14006UnE-En

ISo 14006UnE-En

ISo 14006UnE-En

appendix: leading basque firms in ecodesign ecodesign made in euskadi 55


Firm

ELECTROTÉCNICA ARTECHE HERMANOS

DOMUSA, S. COOP

FAGOR ELECTRODOMÉSTICOS, S.COOP.

FAGOR INDUSTRIAL, S.COOP.

GAMESA CORPORACIÓN TECNOLÓGICA

GEYSER GASTECH, S.A

IBERDROLA

LANCOR 2000, S.L.

Actions taken

· Redesign of voltage and current transformers

Outstanding product

· Sirena CAL 25 E gas-oil boiler

· Ecodesigned washing machines with load capacity of 8 kg

· Industrial hood type dishwasher. model FI-100

· Wind Power Turbines

· Fagor FEP-PLUS 11 DB heater

· Ecodesign of a transformed electricity substation

· Electric lift engine. model MISP-160.35-16

ISO 14006UNE-EN

EUSKALTEL · OSOA

ISO 14006UNE-EN

ISO 14006UNE-EN



Firm

ORONA CORpORACIÓN, S.COOp.

ORMAZABAL VELATIA

pRONUTEC, S.A.

pROTÓN ELECTRÓNICA

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC (TELVENT-ARCE SISTEMAS)

SOLAC (CEGASA INTERNACIONAL)

WATTIO

WATTIO

actions taken

· ORONA lift 3G X15

outstanding product

· ORGANIC transformer

· CBTO ECOLAN low-voltage switchboard

· Eco-efficient redesign process for “ball” lights used in urban lighting. carindini DQR-500rt model

· Automatic vending machine with electronic payment systems

· Compact ironing centre. CVG 9600

· Energy-saving kit

· Redesign of electrical substation elements

ISo 14006UnE-En

ISo 14006UnE-En


Machinery and equipment


Firm

FAGOR ARRASATE

FAGOR AUTOMATION

GORATU MÁqUINAS HERRAMIENTA, S.A.

IBARMIA

IK4-IDEKO

KIDE, S.COOp.

LORAMENDI

actions taken

· Mechanical servoprensa model SDM2-400-2400-1200

outstanding product

· Analysis and redesign of fagor automation, S.COOP’s product packaging and transport

· Travelling column milling machine. model GMM

· ZV series machining centres

· Eco-efficiency in manufacturing

· Cold Panel

· Vertical molding machine

MONDRAGON ASSEMBLy · Tabber&stringer



Firm actions takenoutstanding product

ZAyER

VICINAy CADENAS, S.A.

· Memphis 5000 milling machine and XIOS machining centre

· Anchoring chains

NICOLÁS CORREA- CORREA ANAyAK, S.A.

ONA ELECTROEROSIÓN, S.A.

ONA - pRES, S.COOp

SORALUCE

TESA

TORNOS GURUTZpE, S.A.

· Range of compact, bed-type milling machines

· Die sinking electrical discharge machine NX4

· Hydraulic press EBT-225-4.6-AS

· 6 ecodesigned models

· Spy Mifare Cil Vec Inox

· Horizontal gap lathe. model GL16

ISo 14006UnE-En


Packaging

Packaging

Firm

CEMOSA

ARBELA 2M5

GRUpO CT-TH pACKAGING

actions taken

· SOUL®

outstanding product

· Redesign of wine crates

· Positop 50 polypropylene lid

ULMA pACKAGING

VIDRALA

· Taurus 570 product family

· The use of glass recycling and the ‘bh ecologique’ bottle


Food

Food

Empresa

BALENZATEGUI (AGUAS ALZOLA)

AVÍCOLA GORROTXATEGI

BODEGA BERROJA

BODEGAS OSTATU

EROSKI, S.COOp.

actions taken

· Recycled cardboard packaging vs. retractable polyethylene packaging

outstanding product

· New cellulose egg cartons

· Txakoli carbon footprint

· Carbon footprint for all wines

· Ecodesign of own brand prackaging

ISo 14006UnE-En


Transport and mobility

transport and mobility

Firm

CAF

AERNNOVA

CIE AUTOMOTIVE

IRIZAR

ITp

LIGHT SySTEMS TECHNICAL CENTER, S.L. (CORpORACIÓN RINDER)

MAIER, S.COOp.

actions taken

· Environmental product declarations for trams and trains

outstanding product

· “Large Aircraft”

· Semi-automatic reconstruction of forge tooling surfaces

· Bus – model i6ligth

· Low-pressure turbine for the rolls royce trent 900 engine

· 735.21 road pilot

· Front grill (T84)


Urban furniture and facilities

Firm

AKABA, S.A.

AGV ESTUDIO

ALGON

BURDINOLA

ECOTHINK- GRUpO INTERMEDIO

ELECTRO TALLERES ZARAUZ, S.A. (JOLAS)

EREDU

GEROMOBEL, S.L. (SMOL)

actions taken

· Chairs - MUGA 2, ADOS and ARIN

outstanding product

· Senda range

· Chairs - MAC and OLE

· Become range

· Stands sostenibles

· Children’s play area containing 3 towers, easy-access steps, a rope bridge, 2 slides, and rooves

· Implementation of the UNE 150301 standard at Eredu

· Iruki desk

ISo 14006UnE-En

ISo 14006UnE-En

ISo 14006UnE-En

ISo 14006UnE-En

ISo 14006UnE-En




Firm

LURKOI

GITMA-ASUA BG 96, S.L.

LUyANDO SySTEM, S.L.

NOVA EXpOSySTEMS, S.L

OFITA INTERIORES, S.A.

ONDARRETA

ONN OUTSIDE MOBILIARIO URBANO, S.L.

pREFABRICADOS URKIA, S.A.

actions taken

· Eco-innovation actions for application in the “Basque Government” information panel

outstanding product

· House in the “árbol de hormigón” (concrete tree)

· Eterna series

· Cardboard modular building system for fairs and exhibitions

· “Fresh” operating system

· BOB chair

· Sloper” bench with high back support

· Concrete bench

ISo 14006UnE-En

ISo 14006UnE-En

ISo 14006UnE-En



Firm

SITTA SILLERÍA DE OFICINA

SELLEX

yOR, S.A

actions taken

· Ergotango Plus Biplax

outstanding product

· Fold Table

· “GREEN” children’s playrounds

ISo 14006UnE-En

ISo 14006UnE-En




Firm

ASFALTOS NATURALES DE CAMPEZO, S.A.

ADHORNA PREFABRICACIÓN, S.A.

BEFESA ZINC ASER

CALCINOR S.A.

CEMENTOS LEMONA

CONSTRUCCIONES Y PROMOCIONES BALZOLA, S.A

DERIVADOS DEL FLUOR

EGOIN

Actions taken

· Bituminous concrete for roads and other areas with traffic (AC 16 SURF 50/70 S OFITA )

Outstanding product

· Redesign of prefabricated building for an electrical substation

· Waelz oxides

· Restoration of contaminated soils

· Environmental improvements in the manufacturing process

· Catalogue/manual of good environmental practices

· Execution of a life cycle analysis and an epd certification for their anhydrite product

· EGO_CLT



Firm

FYM ITALCEMENTY GROUP (CEMENTOS REZOLA)

EZARRI

GERDAU ACEROS ESPECIALES EUROPA, S.L.

GRUPO GÁMIZ

MADERAS DE LLODIO

PIZARRERÍAS MENDIZABAL, S.A.

PRODEMA

PROTEC

TERMOGENIK-TORREBASO

Actions taken

· Methodology for the evaluation of the environmental impact of manufactured products

Outstanding product

· 100% recycled tyles

· Portland composite cement CEM II/A-M 42.5 R

· Methodology for the evaluation of the environmental impact of manufactured products

· Plywood panels, laudio form/car, and laudio ply“

· Exfoliated tile

· Prodex® panels

· Wooden cylinders treated for exterior use

· Wooden cylinders treated for exterior use

ISO 14006UNE-EN


chemical products

Firm

DTS OABE, S.L.

A&B LABORATORIOS, S.A.

GUSERBIOT, S.L.U.

INDUSTRIAS JUNO, S.A.

INDUSTRIAS qUÍMICAS EUROCOLOR, S.A.

INDUSTRIAS qUÍMICAS IRURENA, S.A.

INTEMAN, S.A.

KLINER pROFESIONAL, S.A.

actions taken

· Nupilac hidro AZM Green

outstanding product

· New range of biodetergents

· Bacteria for bioremediation and wine yeast

· PB-7 ECO-paint

· Ecoviva Paint

· Elite Stone

· Kenbi product family

· GK-707 ECO-L

ISo 14006UnE-En

ISo 14006UnE-En

ISo 14006UnE-En

Chemical products


chemical products

Firm

pINTURAS y RECUBRIMIENTOS URSAN, S.L.

LABORATORIOS BILpER, S.A.

qUÍMICA INDUSTRIAL DISOL

ZORELOR

actions taken

· Plastic paint for interior matt coatings

outstanding product

· Non-corrosive eco-friendly degreaser

· DISOLIM E-119

· ZORKIL-M26, concentrated cleaner


Engineering

Engineering

Firm

DHEMEN DESIGN

ALTAIR INGENIERÍA

IDOM

INGENOR INGENIERÍA y ARqUITECTURA

INGETEAM

LKS INGENIERÍA

TRES D

SAITEC

actions taken

· Hydraulic press

outstanding product

· Biopharmaceutical laboratory project in vitoria and multi-use building project in Zubieta

· Development of a tool for assessing the environmental impact of a building process

· Executive project for the new ies lakua secondary school in Vitoria-Gasteiz

· Redesign of relays in an electrical substation

· Application of ecodesign in the fernando buesa arena restoration Project

· Design of a telephone booth for retevision, a firm belonging to the amena group

· Construction and renovation project; improving the sewage and residential networks on ollarretxe Street

ISo 14006UnE-En

ISo 14006UnE-En

ISo 14006UnE-En

ISo 14006UnE-En

ISo 14006UnE-En


Other sectors

other sectors

Firm

CEL TECHNOLOGIES & SySTEMS TISSUE, S.L.U

ALBERGUE JUVENIL ULIA

DERMO pRODUCTS DEVELOpMENT, S.L.U.

ECOFIBRAS ARANGUREN, S.L.

EMAUS

IKANKRONITEK

URBIL CENTRO COMERCIAL

actions taken

· Tissue paper products and liquid and foam soaps

outstanding product

· Ulia municipal hostel

· White tissue paper made from 100% recycled materials

· Jabón de manos suave/frequent hand cleanser, habituel ecolabel

· Ekocenter / Sindesperdicio

· Reduction in water consumption by closing the chrome-plated tank refrigeration circuit system

· Waste prevention in urbil shopping centre

Documents

Ecodesign made in euskadi. 15 years of product environmental innovation