Our company has always had an inclination for ecology. Protecting the environment, developing eco-compatible products, contributing to make everyone more aware of our natural surroundings: all these are fundamental aspects of our company’s values.
UNECE and CEFACD: an overview
It was a real honour for me to be invited, in my capacity as president of the CEFACD Biomass Commission, to speak at the 56th session of the Working Group on Strategies and Review of UNECE dedicated to the connection between domestic heating systems and pollution. For those who are not aware of it, these two organisations are extremely important in Europe. UNECE, set up in 1947, is the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Its main function is to assess the economical, technical and environmental problems between and within member countries to favour economical cooperation and sustainable development. CEFACD (European Committee of Manufacturers of Domestic Heating and Cooking Appliances) is an international association that represents associations and single manufacturers of heating appliances. One of the association’s goals is to promote efficient products that respect the environment.Biomasses as an opportunity for domestic heating
Luckily, the consumption of fossil fuels in Europe is decreasing: it’s estimated to go from 83% of the total fuels consumed in 2015 to 73% in 2030 (source: Renewable Energy Directive 2018). There are many reasons behind this. In the first place, biomasses offer an opportunity in terms of costs (just think of the virtuous example of the circular economy of wood). They also lessen Europe’s dependence on foreign energy and favour the creation of jobs and the reduction of CO2 emissions. The five mainstays of positive change are: good appliances, quality fuel, installation in conformity with regulations and periodic maintenance. All this must be accompanied by the right attention to good product utilisation practices (plastic must never be burnt, firewood must be dry, etc.). Work needs to be coordinated to create a certification system that classifies appliances according to their emissions in the same way throughout Europe. This will allow consumers to distinguish the best appliances and policy makers to adopt universal quality parameters. Lastly, we cannot forget technology:there are many opportunities for improvement but these require ongoing investments in Research & Development which require stable policies that can be relied on.Marco Palazzetti is the CEO of Palazzetti Lelio SpA, member of the Operating Committee of the Domestic Appliances Group of AIEL (Italian Agroforestry Energy Association), chairman of the AEBIOM (European Biomass Association) Domestic Heating Working Group and president of the CEFACD Biomass Commission.
