Industry takes the lead: voluntary agreement on energy efficiency in the EU plastic converting sector

摘要

The European plastic converting sector makes an unusual effortto improve its energy efficiency. Between 2009 and 2011 a consortiumof representatives from the sector, experts and an energyagency developed a Voluntary Agreement (VA) betweenparticipating National Plastics Converter Associations, the EuropeanPlastic Converters Association (EuPC) and Europeanenergy agencies aiming at a long-term drive to reduce energyconsumption in one of Europe's most significant industrieswith a combined turnover of some 280 billion Euros. It is thefirst European project of this kind. The development was (co)funded by the EU Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) programme.Amongst others the project was based on the results of previousIEE projects to improve energy efficiency in the plasticindustry and on implementation tools in SMEs like energymanagement, best practices, benchmarking and on achievingcommitment amongst key actors e.g. via VAs.A practical inputcame from the Dutch Rubber and Plastics Association (NRK)which already had implemented a national long term agreement(LTA) on energy efficiency since 1998 as part of a nationalLTA framework on energy efficiency. This action has lead toan increase of more than 50 % in energy efficiency from 1998to 2011.The voluntary agreement, will act as a critical tool in markettransformation, raising awareness of energy legislation amongstSMEs, whilst tackling an untapped potential for energy savingswithin Europe's plastics industry and thereby improving itscompetitiveness. The major European plastics processing countries,will contribute directly to the EU objective of 20 % energysavings by 2020.The paper discusses what triggered industry to this initiative,and why a voluntary agreement has been chosen as a vehicle.Major success factors, new challenges and opportunities withinthe sector like producing more sustainable products and improvingchain efficiency will be described. Last but certainlynot least, the actual realization of energy efficiency improvementwithin the voluntary agreement scheme in the participatingcountries will be addressed.