Capteurs d'Avenir
by PollutecNews and market updates for environment professionals
2020 report on the blue economy in Europe
The European Commission’s 2020 report on the blue economy offers a broad perspective on the performance of those EU economic sectors related to the ocean and coastline. For its third edition, it explores in detail the environmental dimension of the blue economy…
The new Ministry of Marine Affairs: what’s the remit?
As from 7 July the French government includes a Ministry of Marine Affairs, headed by Annick Girardin. All details about this new Ministry’s remit.
How will the circular economy allow for effective and environmentally-friendly waste management?
How will the circular economy allow for effective and environmentally-friendly waste management?
The circular economy is a system that addresses the need for the fundamental reinvention of how we produce and consume. It’s a model that allows resource consumption to be reduced while limiting environmental impacts. How will this new system allow for better waste management?
A call for innovative solutions to reduce and recycle waste on an international scale
The Direction générale du Trésor (Directorate General of the French Treasury, French Ministry for the Economy) is inviting applications from French companies to submit international projects aimed at reducing and recycling waste. This call for tender is part of the FASEP Innovation verte (Green Innovation) strategy and the closing date for applications is 1 October.
How should BOD5 be used in biological wastewater treatment?
BOD5 is an essential tool in the biological treatment of wastewater. What is its role? How is it measured and how is it different from COD?
Management opportunities in the environmental job market
In December 2019, the French Association for Jobs in Management (Apec) published the study “The realities of management opportunities in the environmental job market”, using data from an analysis of vacancies published between 2016 and 2018 and from a search of the database on Main qualifications and training offered by public establishments reporting to the ministry. This research showed that environment is not only developing but it’s seen as a very attractive market…
Is Industry 4.0 compatible with environmental impact reduction?
Thanks to the development of digital technology, Industry 4.0 promises companies productivity gains and cost reduction. But are these advances sustainable?
Agriculture and environment – green shoots of harmony?
The concepts of “agriculture” and “environment” have been in conflict for several decades, even generations, whereas they should naturally go together. The many pressures exerted by the agricultural system on the environment and climate are increasingly well-documented. Various plans, reports and strategies have been produced to combat this but their objectives are often long-term. Thankfully, many are already taking action and working tirelessly to make the agricultural model more environmentally responsible.
Covid-19: players from the environmental sector pull together
If the times we live in have ushered in many constraints, they’ve also showcased an extraordinary surge in solidarity. Many research institutes, large groups or smaller companies have contributed through a range of remarkable actions. Here are just a few examples selected from Pollutec 2020 exhibitors.
More environmentally-friendly ports: we’re getting there
Ecological and energy transition of ports, sustainable or future ports, EcoPorts… There’s no shortage of vocabulary in the port sector describing the many activities underway to preserve the environment and climate. These initiatives multiply. Here are a few examples.
Waste recycling: what are the six challenges set out in the 2019 agreement?
Reduction and recycling of waste is a major political issue governed by European Union law. Each member state is accordingly charged with the national implementation of the laws and directives adopted by the EU. On 18 January 2019, the CSF for Waste Transformation and...
Business and biodiversity: What’s the Score?
In its latest global assessment, the IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) showed that human activity has already altered 75% of terrestrial environments and 66% of marine environments. It also revealed that about a...
How can the environmental impact of your industrial projects be reduced?
How to reduce the environmental impact of your industrial projects?
Today, the issue of companies’ environmental impact is of interest to all market sectors, industry in particular. Given this context, industry professionals have been seeking out innovative methods to bring their projects to fruition while limiting their ecological footprint.
Ecodesign: key to the efficient use of resources
Nowadays the reduction of a product’s negative environmental impacts, or the inclusion of environmental considerations in the design process, are no longer just the preserve of a few pioneering companies. More and more manufacturers are offering ecodesigned products...
Waste management and Coronavirus
On Monday 23rd of March, the French Ministry of Ecology specified that “the waste management sector, whether treating hazardous or non-hazardous waste from households, businesses or even medical waste from hospitals, is still running to ensure waste collection and...
Algae: a multi-faceted issue
Whether brown, red, green or blue, unicellular microalgae or multicellular macroalgae are all photosynthetic organisms. Although the spread of macroalgal blooms (green tides, sargassum blooms, etc.) have given them a bad name in recent years, the many properties of...
Environmental protection: what tools are available to help companies follow the regulations?
In 2020, all corporate strategies must take into account green issues and environmental protection. It’s vital that companies remain energy efficient whilst adhering to environmental standards. Consequently, environmental professionals must keep up to date with the...
Hydrogen’s bright future
Beyond its traditional industrial applications (mainly petroleum product chemistry and refining), hydrogen has real potential to fuel the energy transition. Hydrogen can play a part in decarbonising certain sectors, including transport, as well as facilitating the...
The sewage system survey: what requirements must be met ?
In France, wastewater treatment is a highly regulated process. Different methods exist for inspecting the quality of treatment systems. One of the tools used to ensure that everything is running smoothly is the sewage system survey. The sewage system survey is a...
Air Quality: Can the targets be met in ten years?
In its latest SoE report (1), the EU forecasts that its air quality targets will be met by 2030. However, we are still a long way from achieving the targets set for 2020. So what exactly is the current state of play? As demonstrated ever more accurately by scientific...
Renewable energies increasingly competitive in France
The renewable energy production sectors, still just emerging at the start of the 21st century, are now seeing their costs fall rapidly thanks to technological advances and the economies of scale associated with the increasing installed volumes. Certain sectors are...
What are the opportunities in the Indian market?
As an emerging economy, India is faced with challenges related to water, air and waste. In recognition of both current problems in India and the region’s potential, Business France, one of Pollutec’s public-sector partners, has identified various market sectors in...
International calls for proposals for the blue economy
By global definition, the blue economy is the subject of call for proposals at European and international levels. Examples include ongoing proposals such as Investing in Blue Innovation run by the EU via the EMFF, MarTERA 2020 launched by ERA-Net and the UNDP’s Ocean...
The latest on the restoration of polluted brownfield sites
Recent years have seen a real upsurge of interest in brownfield site restoration, which involves giving new uses to abandoned land and improving the quality of degraded soils while reducing the risks to future users. Projects are now going beyond the traditional...
A new methodology to calculate material footprint
Accurate knowledge of the quantity of raw materials consumed by an economy is a pre-requisite for any circular economy policy. From this perspective the ad-hoc indicator is the material footprint. This is currently calculated using a methodology developed by Eurostat...