National Eco-labels - Worldwide
Asia
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People’s Republic of China
The Chinese HUAN eco-label was launched in 1993 by the national Chinese Environmental Protection Administration.
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Hong Kong (People’s Republic of China)
The Hong Kong “Green Label” ecolabelling scheme was established in the year 2000. It is managed and awarded by the non-governmental organization Green Council (GC) in association with the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC).
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Hong Kong (People’s Republic of China)
Hong Kong Federation of Environmental Protection (HKFEP) Limited
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India
In 1991, the Indian government launched the „Ecomark“ into the market. This made India the first among the developing country to make an ecolabelling scheme part of its environmental policy. In addition, India is one of the few countries where foods are also eco-labelled. Another special feature are the public reviews of new draft criteria that form an integral part of the Indian ecolabelling scheme.
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Israel
Israel launched its “Green Label” programme in 1993. The Committee of the Ministry of the Environment and the Standards Institute of Israel (SII) are tasked with organizing and managing the label.
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Japan
In 1989, the Japanese Environment Association (JEA) developed the "The Eco Mark" in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment and the Japanese Environment Association. Together with Germany, the Scandinavian countries and Canada, Japan is among the first countries to introduce ecolabelling schemes as an instrument of politics. A special feature of the Japanese ecolabelling scheme is the fact that the scheme is not implemented and managed by a national body but by a Japanese environmental association.
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Phillippines
The "Green Choice Philippines" eco-label was launched in 2001 on the initiative of the Philippine government. The independent Clean and Green Foundation, Inc. is tasked with managing the eco-label.
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Singapore
The "Green Label Singapore" was launched in 1992 by the Singapore Ministry of the Environment. Since 1999, it has been managed by the Singapore Environmental Council, a non-governmental organization (NGO). The „Green Label“ publishes the draft criteria as does the Indian ecolabelling scheme.
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South Korea
The "Korea Eco-Label" was launched into the market by the government of the Republic of Korea in 1992. Administration and organization are in the hands of the Korea Environmental Labelling Association (KELA). Award of the "Korea Eco-Label" to particularly eco-friendly products is primarily based on life-cycle analyses.
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Taiwan (People’s Republic of China)
In 1992, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) developed the Taiwanese "Green Mark". The purpose of the eco-label is to familiarize consumers with the ideas of environmental protection and conservation of resources.
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Thailand
The Thai ecolabelling scheme "Green Label: Thailand" was officially launched in 1994 by the Thailand Environmental Institute (TEI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry.
Australia
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Australia
Australia developed the "Environmental Choice" eco-label in 1991. In 2001, Australia launched a new attempt to introduce a labelling scheme for ecologically best possible products – this time with the "Environmental Choice Australia" eco-label.
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New Zealand
New Zealand’s eco-label "Environmental Choice New Zealand" was launched into the market in 1990 by the New Zealand Ministry of the Environment as credible evidence for eco-friendly products. Implementation and management of the ecolabelling scheme are incumbent on Telarc, an agency in charge of technical questions and quality systems as well as accreditation and certification.
Europe
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France
The French “NF Environnement” eco-label was developed in 1992 by the French government in collaboration with AFNOR, the French Standardization organization. Since then, this system of close co-operation between national government and standardization authorities has been adopted by a number of ecolabelling schemes.
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Croatia
Croatia’s “Environmentally Friendly” eco-label was developed in 1993 by the country’s Ministry of the Environment on the model of the “EU-Flower” and Germany’s “Blue Angel”.
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The Netherlands
The Dutch “Milieukeur” eco-label was launched into the market in 1992 on the initiative of the Ministry of the Environment and Economics in close co-operation with the independent organization Stichting Milieukeur – the competent managing body for the eco-label. Stichting Milieukeur is tasked with defining the criteria as well as with supervising the award of the eco-label. Since 1995, the "Milieukeur" eco-label has also included environmental criteria for agricultural products.
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Austria
The Austrian "Umweltzeichen-Bäume" eco-label was launched in 1990 by the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Environment. The competent institutions are the Ministry of the Environment which awards the eco-label as well as the Verein für Konsumenteninformation (VKI) (Consumer information association) which establishes the criteria and manages the label. The Austrian eco-label co-ordinates its activities with the German Blue Angel eco-label.
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Scandinavia
The Nordic eco-label "Miljömärkt – The White Swan" was launched in 1989 by the Nordic Council of Ministers, a multi-national body involving the countries of Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Denmark. The aim of the Council of Ministers was to establish a uniform Nordic environmental label for products and services. Like the European eco-label, "The White Swan” pursues a holistic approach in the development of criteria.
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Sweden
The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC), a Swedish non-governmental organization (NGO), has been elaborating criteria for environmentally friendly products since 1987. The "Bra Miljöval“ eco-label using the falcon as a symbol was launched in 1992. Like the US eco-label it is not a national eco-label as it had not been established on government initiative. In Sweden, both eco-labels, the Scandinavian White Swan and the Swedish “Bra Miljöval” falcon, exist side by side and are engaged in a healthy competition.
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TCO (Sweden)
The TCO labels are awarded by the TCO (Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees) to highly energy-efficient and serviceable computers with a particularly positive environmental assessment. This label is not a national label in the classical sense either as it is not supported by a national institution. TCO 99 is the improved successor to the successful labels TCO 92 und TCO 95.
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Slovakia
Slovakia’s eco-label “Environmentálne Vhodný Výrobok" (Environmental Friendly Product) was launched in 1996 by the country’s Ministry of the Environment and first awarded in 1997.
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Spain
The Spanish eco-label "AENOR Medio Ambiente", developed by the Associación Espanola de Normalización y Certificación (AENOR), was first awarded in 1993. AENOR is under the control of the Spanish Ministry of Industry and Energy. The Spanish ecolabelling programme is very similar to the French scheme because, here too, the managing and implementing body is a standardization agency.
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Czech Republic
The Czech "Ekologicky Setrany Vyrobek" eco-label was developed in 1993 by the Czech Ministry of the Environment and officially launched into the market in 1994 as "National Programme for Labelling Environmentally Friendly Products“. What is remarkable about the Czech ecolabelling scheme is the fact that it is the Minister for the Environment who decides on the award criteria for the individual product groups. This makes it the only national eco-label that puts the labelling of environmentally friendly products into the hands of a single person.
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Hungary
The Hungarian eco-label "Környezetbarát Termék" (Environmentally Friendly) was launched in 1994 by the Ministry of Environment and Area Planning. Hungarian Eco-Labelling is the competent implementing and managing agency.
North America
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Canada
The Canadian "EcoLogoM" was launched in 1988 by the Canadian Ministry of the Environment, Environment Canada (EC), within the framework of the Environmental Choice Programme. The Canadian eco-label was the second big labelling initiative for eco-friendly products worldwide – second to the German Blue Angel. The private enterprise Terra Choice was tasked with implementing and managing the Environmental Choice Programme.
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USA
In 1989, the independent and non-profit organization Green Seal developed the US "Green Seal" eco-label. "Green Seal“ is a private eco-label that was launched independent of all state authority. The American labelling scheme is, however, principally very similar to the national state-organized eco-labels.
South America
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Brazil
The Brazilian Qualidad Ambiental eco-label was launched in 1993 by the Associacao
Brasileira de Normas Tecnicas (ABNT) in collaboration with the Brazilian government. The award of the Brazilian eco-label is based on life-cycle analyses.