Eco-labelling
Enabling developing countries to seize eco-label opportunities

Capacity building and technical assistance for industries and governments in developing economies

The SCP Branch work on ecolabelling focuses on capacity building and technical assistance for industries and governments in developing countries.

A 4-year project started in 2007, which promotes eco-labelling in Brazil, China, India, Kenya and the South East African Region, Mexico and South Africa. UNEP works together with the German capacity building organization InWent and with other partners. The project is funded by the European Commission and the German government.

Project objectives are:

1. To increase the number of eco-labelled products
The project helps industry and government stakeholders in the various countries to have their key export products awarded with the EU Eco-label. This is primarily done through capacity building and technical assistance. Governments' capacity to develop and implement sustainable procurement and other policies for promoting eco-labelling schemes is improved, and other stakeholders are assisted to develop supporting actions.

Each country focuses the activities on one key export product:

Footwear Mexico, Kenya, and the South East African Region	Paper Brazil
Textiles India, South Africa	Televisions China

2. To develop a roadmap towards mutual recognition
The project helps to increase knowledge and mutual understanding between the various European and developing countries' eco-labelling bodies. It facilitates better cooperation and transparency (such as product criteria, appliance rules) between the schemes. This supports efforts towards the simplification of the 'eco-labelling universe'.

Furthermore an assessment of the opportunities and barriers of mutual recognition will be developed, which will include a list of practical recommendations to increase cooperation. This 'roadmap towards mutual recognition' will build upon the activities already carried out by the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN) to develop and promote a GEN International Coordinated Eco-labelling System (GENICES).

To learn more about the project click on the menu on the left or access the project partners' web-site

The project is carried out with funding from:

European Union

Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (Germany)