Trying to lead by example: the ECA’s own efforts to reduce its environmental footprint
Interview with Natalia Krzempek, former ECA coordinator for EMAS
From 2013 to February 2020, Natalia Krzempek was the environmental coordinator at the ECA for greening the organisation’s own activities. Her first task, when she joined the ECA in 2013, was to contribute to the development of an environmental management system and to become the project manager to make the ECA ‘EMAS proof,’ i.e. in line with the EU’s ‘Eco-management and Audit Scheme’. Before Natalia moved on to new professional fields outside the ECA, Donata Rihtarić, former intern in the Translation, Language Services and Publication Directorate, and Derek Meijers interviewed her, well before the Covid-19 crisis, about her efforts to reduce the ECA’s environmental footprint and to make it a greener place.
By Derek Meijers and Donata Rihtarić, Directorate of the Presidency
EU institutions have a leading role
Natalia is proud of her work as the environmental coordinator at the ECA but speaks modestly about it: ‘The EU is committed to environmental protection worldwide, and this commitment includes its contribution to sustainable development by applying the principles of sound environmental management in its day-to-day work. It is our duty, our obligation. We are not in this for the medals, but for the impact it has on the environment.
“Many EU institutions and
bodies […] are committed, as
the ECA is, to taking measures
to mitigate the negative
effects of climate change.”
She explains that the ECA is not alone in improving its environmental performance. ‘Many EU institutions and bodies include protection of the environment in their work and work programmes and are committed, as the ECA is, to taking measures to mitigate the negative effects of climate change. Then, of course, the Commission is working on a wide range of environmental policy initiatives as part of the Green Deal. They are pointing us in the right direction. So, yes, we are in good company.’
Local leverage
Despite the obvious importance of institutional support for climate action at EU level, Natalia considers local initiatives to be the decisive factor when it comes to achieving the most impact. ’Collaboration at local level with public administration and the private sector boosts positive environmental changes. By promoting and implementing suitable environmental measures at local level, we encourage citizens to take action and start changing their own habits and business models towards a sustainable way of doing things. One example of such collaboration in Luxembourg is the Inspiring More Sustainability platform, also called IMS. It is the leading network in Luxembourg of organisations, companies and institutions involved in Corporate Social Responsibility. Altogether it accounts for 18% of the Luxembourg workforce.’
Natalia is happy that she could play a role in the ECA recently becoming an IMS member as well. ‘It makes sense to join, as the IMS initiates a range of projects to facilitate innovative green initiatives. The IMS is very effective in mobilising and bringing together stakeholders from both the private and the public sector. It is an independent, apolitical, non-profit organisation that acts as a catalyst for the expertise of its member organisations.’ She adds that IMS projects cover three main areas: people, planet and prosperity.
Ambitious goals
Natalia is pleased to see that these days not many people seriously question climate change anymore and most people understand that its possible cost by far outweighs the cost of taking action against it. According to her this was also clear in the shifting position at EU level. ’In October 2014, the European Council adopted a revised 2030 climate and energy framework in which it set ambitious targets for renewables and energy efficiency and to reduce the environmental footprint of its institutions.’ She explains that these include EU-wide targets and policy objectives for the period from 2021 to 2030, of which the most important are:
• a 40% cut in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) (from 1990 levels);
• reaching at least a 32% share for renewable energy;
• improving energy efficiency by at least 32.5%.
Natalia: ‘Like the other institutions, at the ECA we are fully focused on achieving those goals, without losing sight of the new vision of a climate-neutral EU, which is at the heart of the European Green Deal. And here some measures, as part of our environmental management system, include monitoring the ECA’s GHG emissions, the energy performance of the ECA’s buildings, the use of electricity from 100% renewable resources, or the automatic switching off of lights in our buildings.’ Natalia adds that, since 2014, the ECA’s carbon footprint balance has been published annually. ‘This is a transparent way of communicating to the public what our GHG emissions are and what our efforts have been and will be to reduce them. And over the past couple of years we have seen a very good development, thanks to simple changes, such as decreasing staff travel for professional purposes and promoting carsharing, or turning off equipment when not in use. But also more structural changes in the way we work, such as encouraging home office working.’
For Natalia, working remotely has great potential to substantially reduce the GHG emissions of the ECA. Other measures she mentions include the use of video conferencing to decrease travelling and using Green Public Procurement tools to procure supplies, services and works with a reduced environmental impact. ’As an institution, we have made some significant changes. However, the big challenge will be to keep up the good work and thereby sustain the trend towards GHG emissions reduction.’
The need for tips and guidance
Natalia remains optimistic when it comes to implementing environmental measures. ‘Of course, sometimes there are so called “unpopular” measures and it can be a real challenge to convince colleagues to change their behaviour and apply them. But the key to success is to stay positive, putting forward solid arguments for the introduction of such measures. And never give up – just do what you believe, even if you need to take some roundabout ways to get there.’ She underlines that it is important to continuously inform people about the need for environmental action and to engage them, to explain what small changes in their behaviour can help.
As an example, she refers to the removal of personal waste bins from the offices, which contributed considerably to the reduction of the amount of municipal waste produced by the ECA’s staff. ’At first, as expected, colleagues were unsure, as they had to change their habits and make a bit more effort to throw away their rubbish. But after some time, we noticed people appreciated the new central recycling bins for different types of waste that were placed at strategic locations on each corridor.’ One particular side effect, as Natalia recalls, was that staff complimented the ECA’s green team for forcing them to walk more! ‘As with many measures, it was not only positive for the environment, but also for the individual. Recycling feels good, and if you get some extra exercise while supporting the environment, that really is a win-win situation, beneficial to individuals and their organisation.’
Inspiration rather than perspiration
Natalia underlines that the main goal of the ECA’s environmental action towards its staff is to inspire individuals to live a greener lifestyle. ‘Successfully stopping climate change means changing fundamental characteristics of everyday life. That means that we need to create a solid framework based on environmental education, environmental awareness that will help to cultivate attitudes of concern, build knowledge and skills, and finally, promote civic engagement for the environmental cause”.
“… Successfully stopping climate change means changing fundamental characteristics of everyday life.”
That is why there are regular campaigns and activities at the ECA, with guest speakers discussing topics such as sustainable mobility, waste prevention and climate action. Natalia: ‘It makes a big difference when people get to try out electric bikes themselves, or when they hear an inspiring speaker like Bea Johnson or Jérémie Pichon talk about their zero-waste lifestyle’ (see also page 128). Natalia explains that such activities offer first-hand experience and motivate people to try and adopt new environmentally-friendly habits in their own lives. ’People like to hear a success story and learn about practical alternatives for their less environmentally-friendly daily activities.’
Green ECA — more than just a corporate colour
The ECA is constantly working on improvements when it comes to the question of combating climate change, says Natalia. ‘Our corporate colour is green, but we are also continuously implementing new measures and introducing changes to be ecologically green as well.’ But becoming more environmentally friendly is a process and not a one-time decision. ’Once you label yourself a green organisation, the new challenge is to continuously inform, educate and engage your staff about how to continue to act green in their the day-to-day tasks.’
“…becoming more environmentally friendly is a process and not a one-time decision.”
Natalia prefers to avoid comparisons with other EU institutions: ’Greening the ECA is not a competition! We are all in this together, and we are working with the same purpose to contribute to the EU’s environmental protection and the UN sustainable developments goals: to combat climate changes and reduce our negative environmental impact. We have one planet to live on, so we have one goal: to protect and preserve it.
Box 1 — EMAS: The EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme for environmental management
EMAS allows all types of organisations to improve their environmental performance and achieve recognition for doing so. The aim of EMAS is to recognise and reward those organisations that go beyond minimum legal compliance and continuously improve their environmental performance. EMAS calls for maintenance of an effective environmental management system (EMS) which ensures that an environmental policy is available, that objectives, targets and programmes are set to improve environmental performance, and ensures the promulgation of such to guarantee continuous improvement as a whole.
’That is also why we collaborate with other organisations and EU institutions: we support each other and cooperate on different platforms.’ She adds that the exchange of information and good practices in the implementation of environmental management systems and green networking are a very valuable source of information needed for constant improvement.
EMAS registration and ISO certification
One important factor to show progress and commitment towards becoming an environmentally friendly organisation is to get certain types of certification. Natalia: ‘As an institution, the ECA opted to become registered under the Eco-management and Audit Scheme, also known as EMAS, and for ISO 14001 certification. We opted for these two because EMAS is the strictest international certification for environmental management systems, and on top of that a European standard for environmental management that is based on EU regulations.’ See for more information Box 1 . On the other hand the ISO standard is known world-wide. Natalia: ‘ISO 14001:2015 is a product of the International Organisation for Standardization, which is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies. We thought that for us the best option would be to have both, and the ECA got both. They are important tools to help in our continuous improvement of environmental performance.’
Box 2 — ISO: International Organisation for Standardization
ISO Certification is a seal of approval from a 3rd party body that a company is run according to one of the internationally recognized ISO management systems. The certification can be used to tender for business as proof of a company’s credibility but also to instil confidence.
Natalia explains that EMAS is compatible with ISO 14001: 2015, but that it goes further than the ISO standard. Important aspects that Natalia highlights are transparency and credibility: ‘Through EMAS we are obliged to communicate very detailed environmental information to the general public by means of an environmental statement. We are also obliged to ensure our legal compliance with environmental legislation and provide appropriate evidence. Both EMAS and ISO 1400/2015 require periodical third-party audits. Certification is only awarded through a very transparent process in which your measures are scrutinised by an accredited independent and competent external verifier. And they set the bar high, which makes ISO certification and EMAS registration much more meaningful.’
“Through EMAS we are obliged to communicate very detailed environmental information to the general public…”
The way forward
Despite the achievements at the ECA, Natalia still sees many opportunities for the institution to become even more environmentally friendly. She believes there are several areas that need further actions, such a fostering a mobility strategy and the removal of single-use plastic packaging. ‘Transportation of people is a main source of GHG emissions from the ECA’s activities, representing approximately 40% of total emissions every year, thus emissions-cutting measures are necessary.’
Also waste prevention, and in particular the ban on having single-use plastic items, could be another main priority for the ECA to become even more environmentally friendly. Natalia: ‘A plastic-free ECA is definitely one of my dreams. It is a difficult task and an area where people are resistant to change. We have already removed single-use cups and we have been using only crystal glasses and porcelain mugs since several years ago. But there are still plenty of single-use plastic items to remove.’ She mentions bioplastics as an intermediate option. ‘But they are not the definitive solution. It is a complex issue, but we see that it is possible.’ As an example of best practice, she refers to the European Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels, which eliminated single-use plastics from all their catering activities in 2019. ‘They changed to a restaurant that is fully free of single-use items, such as plastic bottles, plastic packaging films for sweet and salty snacks and take away food packaging. A real eye-opener!’
Natalia concludes that the ECA might not be at that level yet, but that it is on the right track with the introduction of the ECO-box, a Luxembourg-wide government-initiated scheme for reusable take-away food boxes. ’Overall, I am confident that the ECA is on the right path to achieve the EU environmental targets, and that it will continue to work towards a truly green ECA!’
This article was first published on the 2/2020 issue of the ECA Journal. The contents of the interviews and the articles are the sole responsibility of the interviewees and authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Court of Auditors
