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The biennial event organised by Glaston brings together people from across the glass industry, including researchers, architects, designers, glass producers, processors, equipment providers and end users, to discuss the development of the global glass industry and the latest trends.

In addition to the networking opportunities and knowledge gained, the event also provided Glass for Europe with the chance to deliver presentations during the Industry Trends session. Adrien Carton, Glass for Europe Sustainable Construction and Industrial Policy Manager, discussed the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, which was officially adopted last year. His presentation focused on some of the key legislative aspects, such as National Building Renovation Plans, and the provisions relating to renovation objectives for residential and non-residential buildings.

Adrien then discussed the opportunity presented by the upcoming guidance on the energy calculation of transparent building elements. He explained that this non-binding document is intended to assist Member States in revising their national calculations for evaluating the performance of glazing. This therefore presents an opportunity for solar gains to be considered more widely in national legislation. However, this will only happen if the flat glass value chain engages in direct dialogue with national authorities to emphasise the importance of this guidance.

On the next day, Justin Loup, Technical Regulations and Product Policy Manager presented the new Construction Products Regulation. The presentation gave an overview of the standardisation process under the new regulation and a tentative implementation timeline. Justin’s presentation also focused on the sustainability requirements and provisions linked to digitalisation.

Exchanging views on the Construction Products Regulation with all stakeholders in the flat glass sector is key to ensuring that new requests and procedures have a positive impact on the building glass sector. GPD offered an excellent opportunity to inform stakeholders and gather feedback on current concerns and uncertainties.