Introducing the Enabling developing countries to seize eco-labelling opportunities Capacity building and technical assistance for industries and governments in developing economies

UNEP mandate Environment for Development Assess the state of the world’s environment & understand environmental challenges (GEO); Stimulate solutions to environmental problems Promoting coherent International Environmental Law Facilitating the development, implementation and evolution of norms and standards Build capacity and networks to enable implementing solutions

Six priorities and their objectives To strengthen the ability of countries to integrate climate change responses into national development processes Climate Change that countries utilize the ecosystem approach to enhance human well- being Ecosystem management that environmental governance at country, regional and global levels is strengthened to address agreed environmental priorities Environmental governance that natural resources are produced, processed and consumed in a more environmentally sustainable way Resource Efficiency - SCP to minimize the impact of harmful substances and hazardous waste on the environment and human beings Harmful substances and Hazardous Wastes to minimize environmental threats to human well-being arising from the environmental causes and consequences of conflicts and disasters Disasters and conflicts

Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Resource efficiency and sustainable lifestyles Influencing and advancing sustainable consumption and production patterns Identifying obstacles & opportunities Underlying drivers for consumption Improving process, products  business Modernizing infrastructure and policy framework  governments Creating awareness, dialogues and reflection  consumer groups

Old way

Current economic development system is based on: Promoting increased consumption of goods and services Thus requiring increased production of goods and services Thus entailing ever increasing requirement of materials and energy Causing immense pressure on the natural resource base HOW LONG AND HOW FAR? 6

If we go on with current production and consumption patterns Two planets would be needed by 2050

Need for an alternative economic development system Aimed at improving the ‘well-being’ of people Alternative means of ‘meeting the needs’ of people, which: are more resource efficient (Cleaner Production, Eco-efficiency) Sustain non-declining utility of the natural capital Links economic development with social and environmental aspects   SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 8

Sustainable resource management Design for sustainability D4S Cleaner production & Resource Efficiency Sustainable transport Eco-labelling and certification Sustainable procurement Sustainable marketing Sustainable lifestyles Waste Management Sustainable Products based on life cycle Another way

Why? Complex product composition Globalized supply chain – opportunities for influencing the entire supply chain but also difficult to control inputs to the final product Complexity of environmental impacts Impacts shifting from one step in the life cycle to another Taking the whole life cycle into account allows to take holistic approach and improve impacts overall

Information tools Information tools are the ways to communicate the assessment results Voluntary initiatives to demonstrate environmental/sustainability qualities of products  a form of assurance They are called different names: private/voluntary standards, certification standards, eco-labels, declarations, reporting  consumer-oriented information systems supported by detailed procedures and backed by governance structure

Purpose Business: -control performance through the supply chain  supply chain /risk management tool -communicate environmental credentials  marketing tool to different products Consumers: Visual shopping guide  action tool Governments : provide market incentive to produce sustainable goods and services stimulate the demand for sustainable products through supportive measures such as public procurement  policy tool 12

How they function Provide information on the world behind the products Use environmental and ethical values of consumers as a market incentive for producers to improve their environmental and social performance Provide competitive advantage for producers in the market place Dynamic displacement process  continuous environmental improvement

Information systems: landscape mandatory product labelling usage /disposal information declaration of contents certificate of conformity voluntary ‘Classical‘ ISO-Type I (Blue Angel, EU-Flower) ISO-Type I ‚like‘ (MSC, FSC) others ISO-Type III EPD ISO-Type I (Eco-label) ISO-Type II (self declaration) national/regional Individual company/industry industry/national international

Type I eco-labels ISO 14024, environmental multi-criteria (lifecycle thinking), multi-sectoral, third party certified  B2C: an easy aid for consumers  Leadership label: criteria are applicable for only a certain segment of the market

Type I–like eco-labels ISO Type I-like, often referred to as certification schemes or sustainability labelling Similar to Type I, main difference: focus on specific impacts (e.g. energy consumption, agricultural practice) and applied to a specific sector (energy using appliances, agricultural commodities). Unlike type I, they often look at social standards too. Designed as baseline criteria for sector-wide uptake

Type II – self-declarations ISO 14021, self-declared, individual companies standards: large retailers or industries Mostly second-party certified (internal auditing) Communicated as sub-brand, increasingly use third party certification or certify their branded products with third-party schemes

Type III – product declarations  ISO 14025, environmental product declarations, similar to nutritional values matrix, based on LCA  B2B and B2C: through the supply chain or on certain durable products  Popularity of carbon footprinting but growing recognition to move beyond carbon  E.g France: CFP by major retailers in France and plans to introduce values of other impacts too and make such declarations compulsory with time 18

Project background 1.SCP is a global challenge: emerging global consumer class increasingly worried about the environment 2.Trade offers the opportunity of improving environmental performance of products around the world leveraging on consumers’ demand for environmentally preferable products. 1.Voluntary information schemes – a market reality with strategic importance 2.an important SCP element – interface between production and consumption patterns

Objective 1: Increase number of export products from target countries: Brazil, China, India, Kenya/Ethiopia, Mexico, South Africa awarded with a type 1 eco-label through capacity building and technical assistance Objective 2: Develop a roadmap towards greater cooperation and mutual recognition of eco-labelling schemes 4-year project co-funded by the EuropeAid of the European Commission and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (Germany)

Key challenges: Information: access to coherent, credible and clear information about eco-labelling programs, requirements and markets Capacity building: comprehensive, coordinated and needs- based support to develop sustainable enterprises Policy framework: integration in supportive policy framework

Opportunities for participating countries 1.To produce high value products: environment 2.To increase the international competitiveness and enhance market access for their finished products 3.To reduce the environmental impacts of the manufacturing industries 4.To improve the regional economic integration 5.To be a frontrunner in respect to the other countries

The Team Coordinator: UNEP DTIE, Sustainable Consumption and Production Branch International partners and associates InWent – Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung gGmbH, Capacity Building International (Germany) Global Eco-labelling Network (GEN) UBA: the Federal Environmental Agency (Germany) National partners and associates Foreign Trade Secretariat of Brazil (SECEX) Sino-Japan Friendship Environmental Protection Centre (EDC) - China Consumer Unit & Trust Society (CUTS) - India National Institute for Standards and Certification (INMC) - Mexico Kenya National Cleaner Production Centre (KNCPC) - Kenya Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) through its National Cleaner Production Centre (SA NCPC) - South Africa.

Project Implementation Process 1. Background and Assessment 2. Capacity Building 3. Technical Assistance 5. Conclusion, dissemination and bases for project replication activities 4. Cooperation among eco-labelling schemes

Results achieved so far:  Motivated project team  Assessment studies: legal and market situation, needs and recommendations (selection of the label and strategies)  SA decided to develop an eco-labelling programme, Ethiopia - to join  Higher awareness and engagement of stakeholders  Training material developed, e-learning course  Pool of experts: 25 trained to become experts on eco- labelling and EU eco-label  16 training workshops each attended at least by 25 people  At least 1 company in each country to apply for the label  Requests for extension and replication

Textiles (India, South Africa) Footwear (Mexico, Kenya) Paper (Brazil) Electric appliances (China) Products groups and the EU eco-label

Technical assistance to the companies in each target countries TA to governments for the development of policies for eco-labelling promotion Continue working with eco-labelling bodies to encourage stronger cooperation and engagement with developing countries Regional conferences to disseminate the results Record the lessons learned and guide for companies from developing countries Replicate the approach in other countries What is next?

Expected results Strengthened capacity on eco-labelling among key industry’s, and governments’ representatives At least one product in the process of obtaining the EU Eco-label Increased attention of governments and other stakeholders to the question of promoting eco- labelling Synergies created with the development of an other regional initiatives and Global Eco-labelling Network

Thank you for your attention! Liazzat Rabbiosi UNEP DTIE, SCP Branch Tel