Objective
The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity commits to becoming climate neutral by 2030
ENISA has made a strategic commitment to become carbon neutral by 2030. This commitment is envisaged to the Agency’s Single Programming Document (SPD) of 2022. The Agency’s objective is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to the lowest possible amount and to compensate any remaining unavoidable emissions through greening activities.
The EU aims to be a climate-neutral economy by 2050 with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. ENISA as an EU agency recognizes its responsibility for making a positive contribution to sustainable development as a long-term goal and actively contributes to this EU objective by integrating in its mission the carbon neutrality.
Towards that objective, the reduction of its greenhouse gas emissions is the first step of the agency’s broader environmental strategy. In line with this objective, ENISA has built up its environment management system, aiming to become certified under the European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), by the end of 2024.
ENISA’s work in actions:
Through daily individual and joint actions, the agency strives to reduce its environmental footprint, and embeds good environmental practices into its operations, actions, policies and procurements.
This requires a series of actions and measures in several areas, such as facility management, travelling, green procurement, modes of working, greener ICT and digital communication. etc. to reduce both direct and indirect emissions. ]
Actions already implemented:
- Emissions from business travel were decreased
- Smaller consumption of energy
- Recycling bins in each floor
- Dedicated intranet page about the agency’s greening project and EMAS.
- ‘Staff green team’ on a voluntarily basis to serve as a focal point for new ideas and initiatives
- Environmental activities, such as beach clean-ups to foster shared environmental responsibility.
- Green procurement practises: The ENISA procurement team takes environmental principles into account by introducing environmental clauses as requirements in tender specifications
Staff participation
To build a sustainable future together, everyone needs to be on-board. The participation of the ENISA staff is key to the success of the agency’s environmental goals.
ENISA staff is constantly encouraged to think and act in a green way and has received specialised training and awareness sessions about EMAS that has enabled them to act as ambassadors and facilitators of the agency’ s greening project. New staff members during their very first days at ENISA get also an overview of ENISA’s greening project.
EMAS at ENISA
ENISA’s comprehensive Environmental Management System started with an environmental review of all its activities as a basis for future action. Responding to its analysis and results, a comprehensive EMS system was created to be implemented across the agency.
About EMAS
The European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a premium management instrument developed by the European Commission for companies and other organisations to evaluate, report, and improve their environmental performance.
Organisations implement an Environmental Management System (EMS), set up procedures to assess and improve their environmental performance. If they follow the demanding guidelines of the EMAS regulation, they are becoming EMAS-registered.