Assessment of eco-labelling criteria development from a strategic sustainability perspective

To turn current patterns of consumption and production in a sustainable direction, solid and understandable market information on the socio-ecological performance of products is needed. Eco-labelling programmes have an important role in this communication. The aim of this study is to investigate what gaps there may be in the current criteria development processes in relation to a strategic sustainability perspective and develop recommendations on how such presumptive gaps could be bridged. First a previously published generic framework for strategic sustainable development is described and applied for the assessment of two eco-labelling programmes. Data for the assessment is collected from literature and in semi-structured interviews and discussions with eco-labelling experts. The assessment revealed that the programmes lack both an operational definition of sustainability, and a statement of objectives to direct and drive the criteria development processes. Consequently they also lack guidelines for how product category criteria might gradually develop in any direction. The selected criteria mainly reflect the current reality based on a selection of negative impacts in ecosystems, but how this selection, or prioritization, is made is not clearly presented. Finally, there are no guidelines to ensure that the criteria developers represent a broad enough competence to embrace all essential sustainability aspects. In conclusion the results point at deficiencies in theory, process and practice of eco-labelling, which hampers cohesiveness, transparency and comprehension. And it hampers predictability, as producers get no support in foreseeing how coming revisions of criteria will develop. This represents a lost opportunity for strategic sustainable development. It is suggested that these problems could be avoided by informing the criteria development process by a framework for strategic sustainable development, based on backcasting from basic sustainability principles.

[1]  Karl-Henrik Robèrt,et al.  Tools and concepts for sustainable development, how do they relate to a general framework for sustainable development, and to each other? , 2000 .

[2]  Hans-Jürgen Dr. Klüppel,et al.  The Revision of ISO Standards 14040-3 - ISO 14040: Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Principles and framework - ISO 14044: Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Requirements and guidelines , 2005 .

[3]  Sophie Hallstedt,et al.  An approach to assessing sustainability integration in strategic decision systems for product development , 2010 .

[4]  Tom Tietenberg,et al.  The International Yearbook of Environmental and Resource Economics 1999/2000 , 1999 .

[5]  Sylvain Plouffe,et al.  The ecolabel and sustainable development , 2004 .

[6]  Anthony Thompson,et al.  Benefits from a product service system approach for long-life products : the case of light tubes , 2012 .

[7]  George A. Akerlof.  The Market for “Lemons”: Quality Uncertainty and the Market Mechanism , 1970 .

[8]  John Holmberg,et al.  Backcasting — a framework for strategic planning , 2000 .

[9]  Eva Heiskanen,et al.  The Nordic Swan - From past experiences to future possibilities : The third evaluation of the Nordic ecolabelling scheme , 2008 .

[10]  Göran Broman,et al.  Sustainability Constraints as System Boundaries: An Approach to Making Life‐Cycle Management Strategic , 2006 .

[11]  Peter-Tobias Stoll,et al.  Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade , 2007 .

[12]  Ruediger Kuehr,et al.  Strategic sustainable development — selection, design and synergies of applied tools , 2002 .

[13]  Lucia Pietroni,et al.  Eco-labelling and consumers: towards a re-focus and integrated approaches , 2006 .

[14]  Julia Blasch,et al.  Sustainability standards for bioenergy—A means to reduce climate change risks? , 2010 .

[15]  K. Dreborg.  Essence of backcasting , 1996 .

[16]  Victoria.  Swedish Society for Nature Conservation , 2010 .

[17]  Elisabeth Hochschorner,et al.  Handling trade-offs in Ecodesign tools for sustainable product development and procurement , 2006 .

[18]  Julia Blasch,et al.  Sustainability standards for bioenergy – a means to reduce climate change risks , 2009 .

[19]  S. James,et al.  The Natural Step for Communities: How Cities and Towns can Change to Sustainable Practices , 2004 .

[20]  Brian F. Nattrass,et al.  Dancing with the Tiger: Learning Sustainability Step by Natural Step , 2002 .

[21]  John Holmberg,et al.  Simplicity Without Reduction: Thinking Upstream Towards the Sustainable Society , 2000, Interfaces.

[22]  John Holmberg,et al.  Socio-Ecological Principles and Indicators for Sustainability , 1995 .

[23]  Joop de Boer,et al.  Sustainability labelling schemes: the logic of their claims and their functions for stakeholders , 2003 .

[24]  Susan M. Harris.  Green Tick™: an example of sustainability certification of goods and services , 2007 .

[25]  Frieder Rubik,et al.  The Future of Eco-labelling: Making Environmental Product Information Systems Effective , 2005 .

[26]  Helmut Karl,et al.  Economic Aspects of Environmental Labelling , 2002 .

[27]  John P. Robinson,et al.  Futures under glass , 1990 .

[28]  Peter P.J. Driessen,et al.  Eco-labeling and information asymmetry: a comparison of five eco-labels in the Netherlands , 2008 .