Nordic Sustainability Briefing — 28 August 2026
New EU packaging rules take effect for small businesses this week, as the Green Software Foundation moves to measure software's water use and the EEA highlights how low-intensity grazing keeps a third of protected European habitats intact.
EU packaging rules begin phased application, affecting small businesses
The EU's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, in force since February 2025, began applying on a phased basis from 12 August 2026, establishing a harmonised framework across the Single Market to curb packaging waste. The Commission says replacing fragmented national requirements with common EU rules is intended to bring greater legal certainty and efficiency gains for businesses operating across borders.
Green Software Foundation launches Software Water Intensity project
The Green Software Foundation has launched a Software Water Intensity (SWI) project, led by its Standards Working Group, to develop a consistent way to measure and reduce software's water footprint, following the same rate-based pattern as its carbon standard. The initiative reflects a broadened GSF vision covering carbon, energy, water and waste, prompted by data-centre expansion and growing AI workloads.
EEA: one in three protected habitats depends on low-intensity grazing
An EEA briefing finds that 10–15% of all EU cattle, sheep and goats are needed to maintain habitats protected under the EU Habitats Directive through low-intensity grazing. The agency notes that a shift toward intensive farming has driven land abandonment in habitats that depend on grazing, with at least 35 million hectares — about 22% of official farmland — benefiting from grazing or mowing.