“GREEN” WAY OF THOUGHT AND ACTION

To think ecologically means that he is aware of the interdependence and interaction between Man and the Planet and that he recognizes the harm that can be caused even on a daily basis, inadvertently, by man by his action in the environment. The ecological way of thinking leads to similar behavior and, above all, to the decision for corrective interventions that have the potential to transform environmental responsibility into practical consciousness.

The Swiss Approval International is an Inspection & Certification Organization, which places particular emphasis on environmental protection and sustainability. The modern citizen has to think ecologically, and Swiss Approval International contributes in this direction by promoting inspection and certification programs that have a direct positive impact on improving the standard of living and safeguarding the welfare of future generations.

1. “Air quality”, the fundamental prerequisite for breathing “ecologically”.

The Swiss Approval International, works as an expert and key rating agency in compliance compliance procedures and support to national governments regarding the implementation of the European Air Quality Guidelines related to the required monitoring and reporting of air quality, to the competent authorities of the European Union on a yearly basis. In June 2008, the Air Quality Directive (2008/50/EC) entered into force. This directive has been adopted by many country governments, even outside Europe, and has been enforced by various supervising State Organizations with regard to environmental concerns.

2. Energy and “green consciousness”.

The Swiss Approval International approximates energy issues with growing interest as it is our belief that energy ranks both among the most important social and economic development components, and on the other hand the energy consumption and the associated impacts that constitute the main issues that need to be addressed in the context of ecological thinking, such as the emitted greenhouse gases (Green House Gas) (GHG emissions), commonly known as the “carbon footprint”.

The term GHG defines gases in the atmosphere, which absorb and emit radiation within the thermal infrared spectrum. This process is the main cause of the greenhouse effect. The main greenhouse gases that cause the greenhouse effect in the earth’s atmosphere are: water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. Greenhouse gases greatly influence the temperature of the Earth. Without this, the Earth’s surface temperature would be about 33 ° C lower than the current average of 14 ° C.

The growing energy demand in the whole of society leads us to the conclusion that energy consumption has an increasingly important impact on the environment. Experts and services of Swiss Approval International play an important role in developing and implementing policies and measures related to the promotion of energy efficiency, can encourage the wider use of renewable energy sources and improve the energy performance of buildings through from the gas emission monitoring processes.

ISO 50001: 2011 Energy Management Systems (EnMS) – Energy Management Systems. It is the standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for energy management systems.

The standard specifies the requirements for the design, implementation, and maintenance and improvement of an energy management system, the purpose of which is to enhance the ability of an organization to follow a systematic approach to achieving continuous improvement of its environmental and energy performance , including energy efficiency, energy security, the use and consumption of energy resources. The standard is aimed at helping organizations to continuously reduce their energy consumption, and hence their energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) for Industry. Industrial installations covered by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) must have an approved monitoring plan to monitor and record their emissions during the year. The annual emission report data must be verified by an accredited verifier-certifier before 31 March of each year.

Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) for Aviation – Directive 2008/101 / EC. In November 2008, the European Parliament adopted Directive 2008/101 / EC, which included air transport in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). According to the above Directive and the following Decision 2009/339 / EC, all aircraft operators moving from and to a destination – an EU Member State, are required to monitor the report and verify their CO2 emissions.

CO2 Footprint – ISO 14064. Organizations outside the mandatory and regulatory framework should monitor and report greenhouse gas emissions, commonly referred to as carbon footprint (CO2 footprint).

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has developed a set of standards ISO 14064-1,2,3 aiming at adoption by government agencies, businesses, regions and other bodies with a comprehensive set of tools and voluntary programs designed to measure, quantitate and have the ultimate goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These standards allow organizations to comply with previous CSR requirements and to participate in European Union Emissions Trading Schemes (EU ETS) using an internationally recognized standard.

The Swiss Approval GHG Label is the most valid stamp indicating that a service or product is produced in accordance with the principles of sustainability, while a company profile with a strong environmental / ecological consciousness is built that can significantly enhance business traffic and sales of the business, aimed at informed and sensitized consumers.

Airport Carbon Accreditation: It is an independent, voluntary program, approved by the European ACI (International Airport Council), to enforce accreditation criteria for airports on an annual basis. The characteristic feature of Airports should be their innovative function by actively contributing to tackling carbon emissions. The Airport Carbon Accreditation process has received the official auspices of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) and EUROCONTROL.

REDUCE CONSUMPTION

• Turn off unnecessary or unnecessary lighting
• Natural lighting is used instead of electricity whenever possible
• If you have an office lamp, make sure it works with fluorescent lamps (instead of incandescent lamps)
• Dress for the season
• Choose cold water to wash your clothes
• Keep your windows and doors closed in heated or air-conditioned areas
• Turn off computers when not in use
• Turn off printers, especially laser printers, as long as you do not print
• Do not use multi-seam to turn on all computers and office equipment at the same time.
• When purchasing computers or peripheral devices, select low power equipment.
• Minimize the use of screen saver and turn on power management features instead
• You only buy energy efficiency products
• Move your refrigerator. Leaving space between the radiator and the wall, the air circulation around the capacitor coils increases, allowing the refrigerator to work more efficiently.

3. “WASTES”, their rational and effective management reveals the level of consumer culture

The term waste can be defined more simply as undesirable or wasteful materials. Nowadays, effective management and disposal in a rational and eco-friendly way is a crucial ecological and socio-economic issue.

Exposure to hazardous waste-waste, especially after incineration, can cause several serious diseases, such as cancer. Waste can contaminate the surface of water, groundwater, soil and air, as well as other species and ecosystems in general.

EU waste policy focuses on the gradual shift of management systems from landfill to recycling. At local level the minimization and shrinkage of waste was the preferred method for processing them.

Internationally, the main objective is to minimize waste, recycle and ultimately deliver it. Recycling of two specific categories of waste, glass and aluminum packaging has begun since 2008. Since the end of 2012, two additional categories of waste have been introduced into recycling systems, paper and plastic, including tetra boxes.

The Swiss Approval International has considerable experience in the application of quality assurance standards and certification quantity and waste management systems since our inspectors offer for years, services in waste management process on behalf of public authorities.

REDUCE WASTE

• Think before you print or photocopy! Print and copy as little as possible.
• Edit the document content on the screen, not on the paper
• Use e-mail instead of letter forms to minimize paper usage
• Send and store documents, such as necessary documents and business proposals, by electronic means instead of paper
• When printing or copying is required, use both sides of the paper
• Apply sharing the documents instead of having each one of their own copies
• Change the margins in Word documents from the default margins for the documents you are printing (The current setting is 1.25 inches on all sides, changing the margins to 0.75 inches, the amount of paper is reduced by about 5%).

RE-USE OF OBJECTS AND USED PRODUCTS

• Reuse folders by placing a new label over the previous one
• Use a scrap paper box and use it to print all draft or unofficial forms
• Reuse plastic bags, or buy a reusable canvas bag

RECYCLING

• Use for parcels, gift bags and bags. The wrapping paper will tear and be thrown, but the bag can be reused
• Recycled paper production uses only half of the water and 3/4 of the energy consumed to create new paper
• Each ton of recycled paper saves about 400 liters of oil, and seventeen trees.
• By recycling aluminum packaging, the energy consumed and the air pollution caused is 95% less than if the containers were made from raw materials.
• By recycling just one aluminum can one could operate a TV for about 3 hours, estimated.

4. “BIODIVERSITY”, a way of measuring the health status of ecosystems

Biological diversity – or biodiversity – is the term attributed to the variety of life forms on Earth and their combinations. The biodiversity we enjoy today is the result of millions of years of development, shaped through natural processes and, last, more and more, by the influence of people. It is the web of life of which we are an integral part and from which we are so dependent.

Biodiversity refers to the variety of plants, animals and micro-organisms on our planet. Biodiversity also includes genetic differences that are even observed in the same species, such as the large variety of apples, even variations in the human race. Chromosomes, genes, and DNA – the building blocks of life – determine the uniqueness of each individual and of every kind. Another aspect of biodiversity is the variety of natural ecosystems, such as those observed in deserts, mountainous areas in the north, etc.

Each ecosystem presents its own uniqueness through specific sets of physical models. It is a combination of life styles and their interaction with their different and immediate surroundings, which has made the Earth a unique habitable place for people. Biodiversity provides a large number of goods and services that preserve our lives, as well as all living organisms on earth. These services include:

• Food, fuel, natural shelters and building materials made by organizations themselves
• The natural purification of air and water resources
• Oxidation and decomposition of waste
• A moderate and stable global climate system. This shapes, e.g. flood control, drought and extreme temperatures.
• The production and renewal of soil fertility, including the nutrient cycle
• Plants of many crops
• Control of pests and diseases through the natural equilibrium of each ecosystem
• Ability to adapt to change

Protecting biodiversity is part of our survival. Cultures have always been directly dependent on the number and variety of resources available to them. Earth’s natural resources provide the basis for all areas of development, such as agriculture, construction and waste management. Loss of biodiversity can seriously affect our ability to secure food, reduce opportunities for recreation and tourism and lead to the depletion of our natural resources such as wood and energy sources.

The Swiss Approval International supports actions related to the protection and control of biodiversity. Swiss Approval International’s corporate social responsibility policy includes a number of initiatives to protect biodiversity in all sectors (from industry to agriculture) by infusing our own inspectors and experts with a culture of ecological thinking and doing with unbiased social responsibility.