C 105/20
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
4.3.2022
2.3.
Health and safety 2.3.1.
The European glass industry offers quality jobs to a wide range of profiles: from unskilled blue-collar to high-level engineering jobs.
2.3.2.
Working as a blue-collar worker in the glass industry can be physically hard and sometimes still dangerous.
Health and safety measures require investment and often have a positive impact on productivity.
Measures to prevent occupational diseases are continuously being improved, as is the case for the prevention of silicosis, as part of the European Network for Silica (NEPSI) social dialogue on respirable crystalline silica.
The culture of safety and prevention has contributed to the quality of the jobs in the sector.
2.4.
Age, education and training In contrary to central and eastern Europe, western European countries’ workforce is mostly older (50+) and very experienced.
It is increasingly difficult to attract new and younger workers.
Replacing older and experienced workers means training new workers and enabling current workers to keep up with innovation and changes in the industry.
2.5.
Glass is a very innovative sector 2.5.1.
Health and well-being trends are opening up new opportunities and markets for sustainable, healthy, reusable and infinitely recyclable closed-loop glass packaging.
The glass sector is working on design innovation and more ‘disruptive’ routes for decarbonising the production process, heralding a major transformation in the production of glass.
2.5.2.
Glass used in construction and the automotive sector is becoming more sophisticated by integrating foils, gases, coatings, cameras, radars and other materials to enhance safety, insulation properties and transmissibility of data.
Photovoltaic cells can be integrated into façade glass or into car panoramic sunroofs to maintain efficiency and generate renewable electricity.
2.5.3.
High-tech glass products are also used in the aerospace and defence sectors.
Glass products and composites are also used in spacecraft and satellites as coatings, electronics, sensors, displays, etc.
This makes the glass industry not only a high-tech and innovative sector, but also a highly strategic one.
2.6.
Impact of COVID-19 Markets have been depressed in key sectors since the pandemic started, resulting in reduced production with slow recovery in some important glass sectors (flat glass, domestic glass, fibres).
In 2020, the sector was down by 1 % to 14 % depending on the subsector.
In the flat glass sector, which mainly serves the construction and automotive industries, the EU market shrunk by more than 10 % in 2020.
While the uptake in construction has been steadier than anticipated, the automotive glass market remains very depressed to date.
3.
Glass’s contribution to the EU’s climate neutrality, circular economy, well-being and Digital Agenda 3.1.
Climate neutrality 3.1.1.
R e n o v a t i o n Wa v e 3.1.1.1.
Glass products are at the core of the EU’s Renovation Wave that aims to drastically reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions from buildings.
Glazing with the highest energy performance standards will need to be used in windows to insulate buildings.
This would mean massive CO2 reductions since high-performance glazing could cut 37,4 % of CO2 emissions from buildings by 2050 (2).
Glass wool, foam glass and other insulating glass fibre derivates are also key to attaining optimal insulation in buildings.
(2)
The source is a TNO report from 2019: Glazing potential: energy savings and CO2 emission reduction — Glass for Europe