ASERCOM Establishes New ESG Working Group
The Association of European Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Manufacturers (ASERCOM) has formed a new Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Working Group.
This initiative reflects the growing importance of ESG issues in the HVAC&R industry, driven by both new regulations and the industry's commitment to sustainability and responsibility.
“The ESG Working Group will initially concentrate on the ‘Environmental’ aspect of ESG, responding directly to the legislative and market demands Our aim is to empower our members with the knowledge and tools to navigate and excel in this evolving landscape,” says Cornelia Jönsson, Leader of the ASERCOM ESG Working Group and ESG Senior Manager at Danfoss Commercial Compressors S.A.
Stricter regulations like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Eco Design for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) require the industry to better understand and report on its environmental impact. This includes a comprehensive view of how businesses affect the environment and vice versa, with full reporting of CO2 emissions across all areas. The ESG Working Group shows ASERCOM's proactive approach to these challenges, aiming to use combined expertise to drive sustainability and innovation within the sector.
The group's goals for 2024 are clear: establish a foundation for emissions accounting, keep members informed of new sustainability regulations, and develop industry-specific methods for calculating emissions, especially for areas like the use of sold products (scope 3.11). These efforts will pave the way for standardised Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), enabling clearer communication of product impacts.
This initiative builds on ASERCOM's tradition of pre-competitive collaboration. By working together on methods like emissions accounting, ASERCOM believes it can make significant progress in sustainability, benefiting not only its members but also the wider industry and its stakeholders.
“We are at a pivotal moment in our industry’s journey towards sustainability. The ESG Working Group represents a collective leap forward in our understanding and management of environmental, social, and governance factors“, says ASERCOM president Marco Masini.
"Together, we can set new standards for sustainability and transparency, driving positive change across the HVAC&R sector,” concludes Jönsson.
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Source: ASERCOM
