ENVIRONMENTAL LABELLING AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

Environmental labelling is a major issue for every international body that deals with the environment or trade. While organisations such as the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and World Trade Organisation have concentrated on the policy side of the issue, the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) has been carrying out work on standardising environmental labelling schemes. The ISO work, begun in January 1993, is being carried out under the rubric of the ISO Technical Committee number 207 (TC207). TC207 is the umbrella body for environmental standards setting. It is working on standards ranging from corporate activity (environmental management systems, environmental auditing), to product evaluation (environmental labelling, environmental performance evaluation).

The committee is also working on the standardisation of Life-Cycle Analysis, which is seen as the backbone of much of the work of TC207. The work of the ISO TC207’s Subcommittee-3 on environmental labellings divided into work on the types of labels mentioned above (Ecolabel, Eco-Profile labels and manufacturers own claims), plus work on general principles.

 

EXISTING ECOLABELLING SCHEMES

The vast majority of Ecolabel schemes operate in developed economies. A number of developing economies either have fledgling programmes or are looking into the possibility of starting a scheme.

Country Name	Year Started	Name of Programme
Germany	1977	Blue Angel
Canada	1988	Environmental Choice Programme
Japan	1989	EcoMark
Nordic Countries	1989	White Swan
United States	1989	Green Seal
Spain	1993	Good Environmental Choice
New Zealand	1990	Environmental Choice
India	1991	Ecomark
Austria	1991	Austrian Eco-label
Singapore	1992	Green Label
France	1992	NF-Environment
Netherlands	1992	Stichting Milieukeur
European Union	1992	European Union Ecolabel Award Scheme
Israel		Green Label Programme
Korea	1992	Environment Labelling Programming
Taiwan	1992	Green Mark Programme
Hungary	1993	Hungarian Eco Labeling Programme
Croatia	1993	Croatia's Environmental Label
Thailand	1993	Green Label
Hong Kong	2000	Green Label
Australia	2002	Good Environmental Choice
Luxembourg	1992	European Union Ecolabel Award Scheme

CONVENTIONS & AGREEMENTS

Agenda 21 is a comprenhensive plan of action to be taken Globally, Nationally and Locally by organisations of the United Nations System, Government, and Major Groups in every area which human impacts on the environment.

Agenda 21, a programme of action reflecting a global consensus and political commitment was agreed to by 179 states at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro in June’92. The global plan of action aimed at achieving a high quality environment and a healthy economy for all people of the world. Agenda 21 therefore is a guide to enable the Transition to more sustainable form of development and life styles. Agenda 21 embodying the conclusion and recommendations of the UNCED points to the role of information on the environmental impacts of consumer products for making “environmentally sound purchasing decisions”. Agenda 21 has emphasised the need to reduce wasteful consumptions and to promote more environmental - sound products. Agenda 21 states that countries also need to identify balanced patterns of consumption, develop policies that encourage the transfer of environmentally sound technologies. This could include legislation requiring, for example ecolabeling of products or environmental taxing systems.