LECTURE 2 ECOLABELS

Learning Objectives B y the end of the lecture students should be able to: Define and describe ecolabels Understand why the tourism industry seeks affiliation with ecolabels Understand the parties involved in the ecolabeling process Identify the weaknesses of ecolabels as a sustainability tool

Definition-ecolabels Font (2001) defines ecolabels as methods to standardise the promotion of environmental claims by following compliance to set criteria generally based on 3rd party verification. A type of a marketing tool that improves on codes of condust and awards by providing concise and accurate information Predicated on the concept of certification which is a formal process under which a nominally independent body certifies to other interested parties

Definition- continued Relevant to governments wanting to assess whether the industry can be trusted to regulate some aspects of its own environmental performance in a responsible manner. Can also be classified as to whether they apply to a particular region or country or the world as a whole.

Why the industry seeks affiliation with ecolabels To demonstrate external recognition for their sustainability practices and accomplishments To generate positive publicity Increased business from green consumers Leverage to charge a premium price and a reduced likelihood of government intervention Opportunities for networking with other member organizations Reduced environmental costs Improved local community relations

Who is involved in the process Funding body- usually NGOs Awarding body- may be a functional arm of the funding body or an independent 3rd party entity Tourism market and potential applicants ,that is the players in the industry and the customers Verifying body-receives and analyses evidence from the applicants so that its recommendations can go forward to the awarding body

Weaknesses of ecolables Lack of consumer recognition Susceptible to green washing Laudable environmental practices may disguise unethical social and cultural practices There is still no widespread belief or convincing evidence that products with ecolabels are more sustainable than those without Corporate leaders like British Airways may not feel the need to augment their own internal environmental reputation with external ecolabels

Conclusion Arguably the greatest impediment to establishing an effective array of credible ecolabels is the absence of an overriding global accreditation body. An example of such a body is Green Globe 21 which still has a long way to go before it can be regarded as an effective mechanism for attaining sustainable tourism development within the tourism industry.