The CEN Environmental Helpdesk
The CEN Environmental Helpdesk (CEN/EHD) provides information and support to CEN Technical Bodies on how to address environmental aspects in European Standards.
Contact the CEN Environmental Helpdesk
The role of the CEN/EHD is to:
- Develop environmental awareness among CEN technical bodies and encourage a systematic approach to integrate environmental aspects into standards;
- Structure environmental information and provide supporting tools available for TCs;
- Provide guidance to specific environmental projects within standardization.
In order to help deliver these objectives, the CEN/EHD has produced an Environmental Framework of tools and support services that are freely available to all CEN committee members:
- The CEN approach on addressing environmental issues in standardization put in place a general framework to promote and ensure a better inclusion of environmental aspects in European Standards. Read more.
- Environmental Trainings including e-learning, one-day courses and tailored workshops;
Environmental Trainings
The Environmental Helpdesk proposes three types of training to standard writers on how to address environmental issues during the development or revision of standards:
E-learning - 'Environmental aspects in standardization' (in English, French or German)
This online training provides knowledge and understanding of why and how to include environmental considerations in standards writing activities to technical committee members and other stakeholders with an interest in environment and standardization.
Access: Run the e-learning (currently under review)
If you want to do the training, you need to register. This provides feedback to us on the use of this service. The training takes about 2 hours if you do all 5 modules and the related quizzes in one time. You can also decide to do only some of the modules, but we recommend you to do all of them to get an overall picture of how you can contribute to the protection of the environment. The modules will guide you through the understanding of the environmental thinking, the environmental aspects and explain you the tools we provide and their use.
Training - Environmental aspects in standards
- Inclusion of environmental aspects in standards
An interactive course tailored to the needs of a Technical Committee which helps standards writers to understand why it is necessary to consider environmental aspects while drafting products, test and services standards. It provides ways and practical examples on how to use and tailor the various tools available to technical committees through case studies, best practices and sector-specific applications.
To benefit from the course, it is highly recommended to first follow the e-learning 'Environmental aspects in Standardization' training course (see above).
This course offers an opportunity to evaluate the environmental performance of the standards that are developed by a TC. During the workshop, the TC members will have the opportunity to:
- learn about the environmental framework and the tools that are available to support the development of an environmental approach;
- learn to use CEN Guide 4 as well as the Environmental Checklist and how it could be applied to their own needs;
- learn from experiences from CEN sectors on how standards can address environmental topics;
- determine how specific standards can be improved by integrating environmental aspects;
- draft an environmental approach for upcoming projects.
2. Standardization for environmental experts
This is a one-day programme for environmental experts to explore the CEN and international standardization processes and how CEN promotes the inclusions of environmental aspects in standards.
The objective is to help participants understand the CEN-CENELEC and wider standardization processes and identify how they can most effectively engage to secure environmental improvements through supporting the development of standards and related standardization products.
Examples of good practice
