EU Primes Eco-Labels for the Big Time
ecolabel 2.0

The EU is developing a proposal for extending its energy label to all manufactured goods. This would be a significant step forward in energy labelling for products.

Interestingly, the EU proposes developing common baselines around the label that would exclude the worst products from access to EU markets. They would also develop harmonized best-in-class standards that would be offered preferred access to public procurement.

Also on the agenda is a proposal for streamlining and simplifying access to the EU Eco-Flower without lowering standards.

Great news on all fronts. Full Background at EurActiv.Com.

No Comments » | Tags: europe, standards
Posted by Jacob on Monday, April 28th, 2008 | Permalink |

EU Ecolabel Stays Strict on Textiles, GMOs
The best of the best of the best.

EU Member States today rejected proposals from the European Commission to allow PVCs, GMOs and other potentially environmentally damaging substances into ecolabelled products.

Coordinators saw the move as reinforcing the role of the EU ecolabel, and perhaps of ecolabels in general, as a best-in-class indicator for consumers.

Ecolabels have come under pressure in recent months to water down their standards in response to spiking consumer demand. The EU’s message is that ecolabels need to retain credibility first and foremost.

It’s an important message and one that should resonate with ecolabels around the world.

No Comments » | Tags: europe, standards
Posted by Jacob on Thursday, April 24th, 2008 | Permalink |

Loblaw’s takes a swipe at ecolabels

An article in yesterday’s Globe and Mail outlined green options available to consumers in the household goods section. The article quickly devolved into a price comparison shopping exercise and general rant about how expensive green products are and how there’s a lack of standards for what’s green.

In the article Loblaw’s, which obviously prefers to retain control over whats green rather than submit itself to independent verification and expertise, took a swipe at ecolabels:

“There are a variety of different certifying bodies and no consistency in terms of what makes one product more environmentally sound than another,” says Claudio Gemmiti, Loblaw Brands vice-president responsible for President’s Choice Green products.

The Globe is right to complain about higher prices for green products. Consumers shouldn’t have to pay extra for making a green choice. Home Depot works hard to keep its eco-options prices in sync with its non-eco-options. If more retailers made the same commitment it would go a long way to driving eco-markets.

While Loblaw’s is right that there are a variety of certification bodies (more than 300 in fact). It’s a little bold to say there is no consistency between them. Even if the labels aren’t fully consistent, I’d rather trust them than some dude at Loblaw’s.

It’s also pretty weak for the journalist to hit up Loblaw’s for a quote on ecolabels. That’s like asking GM their opinion on higher fuel efficiency standards. Well gee kids, GM says there’s no consistency in fuel emissions standards across the US and Canada so I guess we shouldn’t have them.

Instead of pandering to Loblaw’s the Globe should have asked them why they can’t match Home Depot’s commitment to using credible ecolabels while using their retail power to pressure suppliers to bring down prices for eco-friendly products.

The Global Ecolabelling Network, ISEAL, and other ecolabel networks should also be all over articles like this.

2 Comments » | Tags: news, standards
Posted by Jacob on Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008 | Permalink |

Aussie Regulator Reacts to Greenwash.

An Australian Magazine called Choice recently did a random survey of 70 grocery products and found more than 200 green messages on their packaging. Responding quickly, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC), the government watchdog, published a document last month called Green Marketing And The Trade Practices Act.

It warns business and industry that they can be taken to court by the ACCC, consumers and competitors for making false and misleading claims about the greenness of their products.

Here’s the substance on their warning:

1. Manufacturers should avoid using particularly vague terms in their labelling such as green, environmentally friendly, environmentally safe, recyclable or carbon neutral unless they can substantiate what they mean.
2. Explain which part of the product’s cycle is environmentally beneficial: its extraction, transportation, manufacturing, use, packaging or disposal.
3. Don’t use unqualified pictures that may mislead the consumer about the contents or the intentions of the product.
4. Don’t overstate the scientific significance of a product if the evidence is inconclusive, under consideration or disputed.

5. Don’t make irrelevant claims - for example, that a product isn’t tested on animals when it wouldn’t be, anyway.

No Comments » | Tags: standards
Posted by Jacob on Monday, March 31st, 2008 | Permalink |

Wishful Thinking Hurts the Planet
Progess? But I like going to fancy meetings!

In a classic example of a multi-stakholder process harming the environment, it looks like plans to develop additional product lines for the EU ecolabel are being stymied by the inability of those setting the standards to agree on what they should be.

Consumer advocate Jim Murray hit the nail on the head - “a more realistic understanding of consumers as they actually are, and not as we would wish they were.”

Queue applause. Why is that so hard?

No Comments » | Tags: europe, standards
Posted by Jacob on Thursday, February 21st, 2008 | Permalink |

Ahead of the Curve
ecolabels as pole position

Here’s an interesting example of ecolabels being used as a source for industry regulation.

The European Flame Retardants Association sees compliance with ecolabels as a way to pre-qualify for possible future regulation.  In fact, the association set up a working group last year to look at how ecolabels approach their industry.

The EFRA researcher also suggested that ecolabel criteria are going to become more mainstream as they are driven by green public procurement.

No Comments » | Tags: standards
Posted by Jacob on Wednesday, February 20th, 2008 | Permalink |

(GREEN)
Wherefore art thou Green Bono?

There’s a great article in the NY Times about the (red) campaign. Here’s an excerpt:

According to a 2006 poll by Cone Inc., a marketing agency in Boston, 89 percent of Americans between 13 and 25 would switch from one brand to another associated with a “good cause,” if products and prices were comparable.

Over all, more than $59 million has been contributed by Red and its corporate partners to the Global Fund. Red-financed projects have helped put more than 30,000 people on antiretroviral treatment and provided more than 300,000 H.I.V.-positive pregnant women with counseling and treatment, according to data from Red and the fund.

Although (red) is a small portion of all funds that go to the global fund, it has certainly raised awareness about the possibility of cause based marketing and has also made a positive impact.

(red) may not be an ecolabel, but it is certainly an example of caused based labelling done well.

2 Comments » | Tags: standards
Posted by Jacob on Wednesday, February 6th, 2008 | Permalink |

Tradestandards.org - Label Geek Nirvana?
Bridging the Standards Divide.

We just found out about Tradestandards.org, which is now online in beta. Their mission is to help developing countries build and participate in standards.

The disparity, something starkly apparent from just looking at our homepage under “by region” is something that countries have raised at the World Trade Organisation and continue to be concerned about.

It’s a welcome initiative and we look forward to the official release.

No Comments » | Tags: standards
Posted by Jacob on Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 | Permalink |

UK Goverment Calls for Airline Ecolabels
Flybe zooms to rescue. Does industry want saving?

The airline ecolabel saga continues. According to an article in today’s Financial Times, MPs have accused the airline industry of dragging its feet on environmental issues. They have called for an ecolabel for the airline industry, referencing this industry developed example in use by Flybe.

Flybe has responded by inviting the industry to use its label as a template. They’ve even gone so far as to offer their services to other airlines. A new stage in the evolutionary process of ecolabels?

Continued radio silence from IATA.

No Comments » | Tags: airline, standards
Posted by Jacob on Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 | Permalink |

BEST Battery Ecolabel
A little less lead.

According to an Indian newspaper article the IFC has supported development of an ecolabel for batteries called “Better Environmental Sustainability Targets” or BEST. The World Health Organization estimates that 120 million people worldwide are overexposed to lead, with 99 percent of them residing in developing countries. Our research indicates less than 20% of ecolabels are developing country based.

This looks like a great initiative. International donor partnering with an NGO to develop a standard for a product sorely in need of one.

No Comments » | Tags: news, standards
Posted by Jacob on Thursday, January 24th, 2008 | Permalink |