Eco-labels
There are a huge range of eco-labels run by a mixture of Governments, NGOs, Trade Associations and for profit enterprises.
Some key points when considering an eco-label
- Meaningful and verifiable - worth certifying and certified
- Consistent and clear - clear what it means across all products
- Transparency - certification body needs to be open
- Independent and protected from conflict of interest
- Opportunities for public comment - open development of standards and feedback on any errors.
The European Union eco-label is a pan European scheme which has been delegated to the individual countries for implementation. Some countries such as Germany and the Nordic countries already had well established eco-label schemes prior to the advent of the EU eco-label.