Nigel Takes the Green Message to Brussels

Nigel Rees, Chief Executive of the Glass and Glazing Federation ventured even further afield in his latest venture on the lobbying front. Not content with targeting Government and UK decision makers he boarded the train and headed for Brussels where he reported two very positive meetings with key European contacts.

First Nigel met with Dr Daniel Deybe of the European Commission, Enterprise and Industry Directorate-General. His areas of responsibility are Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Competitiveness and he has been actively involved with the production of the document on the consultation on the Action Plans – ‘On Sustainable Consumption’ and ‘Protection and Sustainable Industrial Policy’. An element of this document covers ‘Better Products – creating a strong EU market for sustainable products’.

One action being considered is ‘Dynamic Performance Requirements’ which includes product labelling to give information to consumers on the performance of the product, so as to facilitate a shift of demand to the most sustainable products.

It is also considering that incentives could be of an economic nature such as taxation policy or subsidies for consumers buying better performing products from a sustainability point of view.

He was very interested to hear the results of our Project Green and our moves to attempt to get financial incentives from the UK Government for consumers buying energy efficient windows. Indeed he asked for further details regarding the British Fenestration Ratings Council (BFRC), which he thought seemed a very good system and useful way of moving forward.

The second meeting was with Fiona Hall MP, who is the Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament for the North East of England.

Fiona is currently working on a report on an Action Plan for Energy Efficiency – ‘Realising the Potential’. One of the issues highlighted in her draft report calls on the Council to agree to the removal in all member States of value added tax on materials and companies which improve energy efficiency in buildings. The report also calls on all Member States to introduce specific tax incentives to encourage households to take energy efficiency measures. She was also very interested in the initial outcomes of the GGF’s Project Green and the sort of data it was highlighting. She is a strong supporter of financial incentives to consumers who improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

'The meetings were invaluable' said Nigel, 'to be able to discuss Project Green and what industry is doing with two people so actively involved in environmental European policy was extremely useful. Their comments and interest has shown that this Project was very necessary, and I hope that with the extra information supplied to them they will become strong advocates for our cause,' he concluded.