The release of Matrix 5.1 and workbook is advancing quickly.

The MDT team has heard your feedback about the communication around the transition to V5.1, and we want to thank you for letting us know!

We understand that there have been some challenges, like:

• Consultants not having enough time to prepare for questions about the changes.
• Difficulty getting up to speed on the new version.
• Needing to update a lot of materials at once.(Training materials for new consultants) and IT infrastructure (e.g. Audit-Tool)
• A feeling of being out of the loop on the MDT's progress.
• Confusion about when the audit for V5.0 ends and V5.1 starts.

We appreciate your patience as we work through these issues!

The MDT team has limited resources, but we're committed to making this transition as smooth as possible. Here are a few ways we can all work together:

• Stay informed with internal resources: We have a lot of great information available on the WIKI, including the regularly updated Workbook Working Version, meeting minutes, project websites, and announcements for upcoming training courses. Be sure to check out the Seedlinks newsletter for updates as well! Please check at our new-page regulary 
• Remember, we're an international hub: English is our working language to ensure everyone has access to the information. We still respect different national priorities and try to find common ground in our decisions, even if we can't incorporate every suggestion.
• We focus on providing adaptable resources: The MDT delivers resources that can be adjusted to fit specific national or regional needs. If you have questions about adapting materials or have resources relevant to our work, please reach out to us at bilanz@ecogood.org

We're all in this together, and by working as a team, we can make sure the transition to V5.1 is a success!

The goal of this iteration was to incorporate feedback, prepare processes for a digital workbook, and to improve the reporting template. 

The main changes in the updated version of the ECG standard are as follows:

• Terminology: The terms "company" and "firm" have been replaced with "organisation" throughout the standard. This is to make the standard more inclusive and to reflect the fact that not all organizations are profit-making entities.
• Clarity and consistency: The language of the standard has been made more clear and consistent throughout, and some of the questions have been rephrased for better understanding.
• Life cycle perspective: The importance of considering the entire life cycle of a product or service, from raw materials to disposal, has been emphasized throughout the standard. This is to ensure that organizations take into account the environmental and social impacts of their entire operations.
• New topics: Several new topics have been added to the standard, including biodiversity, circularity and cradle to cradle, eco-efficiency and eco-effectiveness, and sufficiency.
• Verification indicators: Verification indicators have been added to some of the aspects of the standard to help organizations assess their performance more accurately.

The team will provide material that explains the changes. This is planned for the end of April.