GEIR General Meeting
Marco Codognola, GEIR’s President, on the 8th September 2022, held the GEIR General Meeting. During this, the importance of participating in the AGM was stressed, especially since the sector is currently under the spotlight. The companies have been recognised as active players in the environmental and energy transition, as their RBBOs have an important role in speeding up lube supply chains’ decarbonisation and reducing the dependency on primary resources.
During a dialogue with EEB (European Environmental Bureau), it was asked for the GEIR not to be shy in asking for regeneration targets, which are different from country to country, and that it should have asked to follow the best practice: to drive all used oil to regeneration avoiding its combustion, in every country at the highest level. EEB feels that it is the right time to increase the level of the environmental challenge that European regulators will give to the Member States to improve environmental protection and decarbonisation.
Re-refined base oils (RRBOs) are experiencing positive momentum. Thus, the President invites everyone to take the opportunity, in their countries, and with their national representatives in the EU institutions, to advocate their role as exemplary circular economy companies and on their climate-positive positioning. Institutions and clients are asking for CO2 savings, which they can provide, and this is a great occasion to make their industry grow. Every time they put on the market an RRBO, a significant saving of CO2 is generated as they are carbon positive by nature. And GEIR should use this awareness that they are carbon positive for additional revenues associated with their products. That is why the President warmly asks all to participate more actively in the GEIR’s life, share ideas, and propose the involvement of GEIR in their national debate to support their positioning in the various country.
The President also informed to have renewed the organisation with the Steering Committee, the Area Groups and the Technical Secretary work. The Steering Committee treats all major topics to allow the President to collect all points of view and to come up with decisions to represent the best solution for the whole sector, its survival and prosperity in the future. The Area Groups, on the other hand, have a specific focus on specific matters, such as technology, safety, compliance, regulations, markets, and sustainability, and each group carries out a detailed analysis to support the association and represent it in specific committees and events. And lastly, the Technical Secretary oversees coordination between area groups, steering committee, and consultants involved, including the secretariat, advocacy, communication and LCA. In its first mandate, Valentina Lucchini, the Sustainability Manager of a GEIR member company, has covered the position.
The Steering Committee and the President consider that these innovations have improved GEIR’s effectiveness and its possibility to face several challenges and opportunities during these last two years. Nevertheless, this does not take from the fact that GEIR should have communicated more and that members should have been more involved. All contributions are essential, and it is necessary to rely on everyone’s strengths and connections to showcase GEIR’s value in the lubricant industry and society.
