Methodological challenges for eco-labels in the Global Ecolabelling Network : evaluation and traceability of critical raw materials and determination of quantitative environmental relief potentials : final report

The main objective of this project was to strengthen the use and cooperation of type-I ecolabels worldwide. As markets are becoming increasingly international and products are no longer developed for national markets, the cooperation and joint efforts of ecolabels in developing common environmental standards are indispensable. Specifically, the project addressed two central challenges faced by ecolabels worldwide: (1) Integrating sustainability issues of raw material supply chains in ecolabelling schemes, and (2) Measuring the performance of ecolabels. For the first challenge, the project proposed a set of potential ecolabel criteria based on sustainable mining of raw materials in notebooks, with focus on supply chain due diligence for environmentally and socially critical raw materials. As the focus of the due diligence efforts has mostly been on addressing conflict financing and human rights violations, the project proposed an approach on how ecolabels can extend the due diligence concept to cover severe environmental issues. As for the second challenge, the project concluded that calculation of the environmental savings through ecolabelled products could be a promising approach for measuring the performance of ecolabels. In this regard, the project developed and tested a methodological guidance document for measuring the performance of ecolabels. The methodological guidance document was designed primarily for the practitioners in ecolabelling institutions. The results showed that it is possible to calculate the environmental savings reliably by ecolabelling schemes, if they are provided with capacity building on methodological and technical aspects. The project activities were conducted in close cooperation with the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN).