Ecolabelling, Green Market and Sustainable Public Procurement
On September 22, an online workshop "Ecolabelling, Green Market and Sustainable Public Procurement" was held.
The workshop was opened by Ruslan Strelets, Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, who noted that ecolabels and declarations actively contribute to achieving the Global Sustainable Development Goals until 2030, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly resolution of September 25, 2015 №70/1, and supported in Ukraine by the Decree of the President of Ukraine of September 30, 2019 № 722/2019 "On the Sustainable Development Goals of Ukraine until 2030".
The promotion is manifested primarily through the mechanism of setting requirements for efficient consumption of natural resources and waste management, limiting the use of harmful chemicals, preventing climate change, informing consumers in order to influence their choices. In the conditions of commodity market product abundance and environmental pollution, one of the most important factors of competitiveness of the goods in the domestic and world markets is conformity to high ecological requirements. Ecolabelling serves as a tool to inform consumers about the environmental characteristics of products, the processes of its development, production and use.
He noted the leading role of the Ministry of Ecology in promoting the development of voluntary systems of standardization, certification and labelling recalling that in Ukraine ecolabelling began to be used in 2003, after the adoption in 2002 of national standards in the field of ecolabelling and declarations.
From the very beginning, the Ministry of Ecology participated in the development and harmonization of ISO 14020 series standards, which were developed on the basis of the relevant national technical committee for standardization in accordance with the legislation in the field of standardization.
In 2005, the Ministry participated in the formation of the Coordinating Council for Ecolabelling, which is an advisory body to the Ukrainian Ecolabelling Program. This body has been operating for over 15 years. It coordinates work and participates in forming policies and objectives in the field of eco-labeling, considers proposals and provides recommendations for the adoption of eco-labeling standards based on the life cycle assessment method.
Currently, the Ministry of Ecology has its representation in the National Technical Committee for Standardization TC 82 "Environmental Protection" and in the Coordinating Council for Ecolabelling.
Since 2011 ecolabelling in accordance with national standards has been defined in the Strategy of State Environmental Policy as one of the tools to achieve the goal of greening the economy.
The updated state environmental policy of Ukraine for the period up to 2030, approved by the Law of Ukraine of February 28, 2019, provides for stimulating the introduction of environmental management systems in enterprises while improving the environmental performance of products, including international certification and labelling systems, development of voluntary environmental certification and product labelling.
The representatives of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management, the Ministry of Economy, the EU Delegation to Ukraine and the European Commission, the UN Environment Program, the Global Ecolabeling Network, the European Business Association, the Consumers' Union of Ukraine, and the National Technical Committee 82 "Environmental Protection", Center for Environmental Certification and Labelling, and the NGO Living Planet took part in the workshop.
Besides, very important issues were discussed related to the development of ecolabels in accordance with the requirements of international standards, best European and international application practices, as well as planned changes to legislation aimed at the introduction at the regulatory level of appropriate terminology for a proper understanding of the meanings of ecolabels and declarations, the determination of requirements for the use of ecolabels and declarations in order to overcome their unfair use.
Speakers, key theses and presentations
Anna Yuldashova, acting Director of the Department of Public Procurement of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine
According to the Law, in case of establishing environmental or other characteristics to the subject of procurement, the customer must indicate in the tender documentation which markings, test reports or certificates can confirm the compliance of the subject of procurement with such characteristics.
Technical specifications can be in the form of a list of operational or functional requirements, including environmental characteristics, provided that such requirements are sufficiently precise that the subject of the procurement is clearly understood by the customer and the participants.
Also, pursuant to paragraph 3 of Article 29 of the Law, the customer may apply non-price criteria for environmental protection measures, provided that they are related to the subject of the procurement.
When applying the life cycle assessment method, the environmental impact indicators obtained by the calculation methods according to the requirements of the eco-labeling standards can be used as baseline data for the calculation.
Therefore, references to ecolabels may be used for different tender evaluation criteria, provided that the principles and methods of such labels are standardized and the declared environmental characteristics are validated by the competent authority in accordance with the requirements of these standards.
Oleksandr Marikovsky, People's Deputy of Ukraine, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management
The world community recognizes ecolabels as a powerful tool for a sustainable future that guides consumers, corporations and the public sector to better products that help reduce pollution and use resources efficiently.
The application of common with the EU approaches will provide Ukrainian producers with access to the single green market with the EU, which will now continue to grow rapidly in connection with the implementation of the European Green Deal.
In the world and in Ukraine there are international standards that define clear conditions for the use of ecolabels and declarations. But today it is difficult for Ukrainian consumers, producers and other market participants to understand the meanings of numerous ecolabels.
Another problem is that some manufacturers give the wrong impression of their environmental impact or environmental performance or the benefits of products on the market. Such a phenomenon as "greenwashing" is misleading and does not give proper benefits to those producers who make efforts to green the business and improve the environmental performance of products or services provided. Ultimately, this leads to confusion and imitation of greening the economy.
These problems can be solved by improving the legislation, strengthening information and awareness, through good practice of using ecolabels in the public sphere. The government should set an example by its commitment to the benefits of environmental products using a sustainable public procurement approach. A team of experts from the EU-funded EU4Environment project is currently working to support the implementation of this approach.
As a People's Deputy I and my colleagues, members of various Committees of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, support the bill prepared by the experts of the project, which is aimed at resolving these issues.
Olga Simak, Coordinator of the Environment Sector of the EU Delegation to Ukraine
Eco-labeling in the EU is now one of the important mechanisms for implementing the EU Green Course, because the right to use such labeling is given to goods and services that meet very high environmental standards that set environmental requirements throughout the life cycle - from components and production to disposal. Such labeling encourages a circular economy.
Farid Yaker, Economic and Trade Policy Officer, United Nations Environment Program
UN Environment Programs support the initiatives aimed at developing ecolabelling programs, including those implemented in Ukraine. But the state also plays an important role in this issue. Not as a regulator, but in terms of introducing additional incentives for the market. Most Asian countries have established a green procurement policy and requirements for the application of environmental standards in the legislative market. This has affected the growth of the green market 10 times in 3 years.
Halyna Buzan, Executive Secretary of the National Technical Committee for Standardization TC 82 "Environmental Protection"
According to the Law, technical standardization committees are subjects of standardization that are responsible for the development of environmental standards. Guidelines and methods of application of eco-labeling are given in a series of international standards ISO 14020 which are put into effect as state standards of Ukraine by the method of confirmation by identical translation. At present, Ukraine has 100% harmonization of national standards with this series. Ecolabelling standards for the assessment of different categories of goods and services are developed by TC 82 working groups on the basis of similar standards of European ecolabelling programs and taking into account the requirements of those with international recognition.
Niels Hoyer, Economics Officer, United Nations Environment Program
Ecolabelling is a reliable tool for governments to provide a market incentive for the production of sustainable goods and services, to stimulate demand for them, and as a tool for public procurement policy towards sustainable development goals.
At the initiative of the Global Ecolabelling Network and the United Nations Environment Program, a working group on type I ecolabelling has been established, which includes GEN members - ecolabelling operators and government officials from many countries around the world. The Working Group supports new eco-labeling initiatives around the world through cooperation and knowledge sharing, conducts training and participates in the development of updated UNEP ecolabel training materials.
Silvia Ferratini, Ecolabel.EU, ecolabelling program implemented by the European Commission since 1992
The EU Action Plan, aimed at implementing a circular economy model, provides for a number of measures aimed at changing Europe's production and consumption patterns, focusing primarily on waste prevention. The 35 initiatives included in the action plan aim to make sustainable products, services and business models the norm, not the exception.
The Action Plan also sets out the conditions for the transformation of consumption patterns so that citizens and the public sector can better contribute to the development of a circular economy, guided by ecolabelling. The public sector will soon be able to purchase more environmentally friendly products that are certified and labeled accordingly. It is now a recommendation of EU Directive 24/2014 which is successfully applied in all EU member states.
Yulia Grachova, member of the board of directors of the international association uniting operators of type I ecolabelling programs - Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN)
The development of green markets worldwide requires the coordination and harmonization of eco-labeling standards, the introduction of mechanisms of mutual trust and recognition between the ecolabelling bodies of different countries in order to remove barriers to trade. This is exactly what GEN is working on. The association brings together leading eco-labeling programs that have proven to comply with ISO 14024.
You can find products with the ecolabels of GEN members in many categories.
There are more than 1 million products of 17,000 certified companies.
Ecolabelling in Europe and around the world is applied to food and non-food products, as well as to services. In most countries of the world, ecolabelling is used as a tool for green public procurement.
The Ukrainian Ecolabelling Program operated by the NGO Living Planet has passed international certification, recognized as meeting the requirements of ISO 14024. The NGO Living Planet is a party to a multilateral agreement on mutual recognition and trust between other ecolabelling programs, including existing ones in the EU.
Kate Harris, Executive Secretary of the Global Ecolabelling Network
On October 14, the world community will celebrate World Ecolabelling Day. This Day was proclaimed in 2018 in order to draw more attention to environmental goods and services marked with labels of different regions and countries that confirm compliance with the standards of type I eco-labeling. Each of the sectors can join the celebration, as recommended by our association in the section of the World Ecolabel Day website.
Svitlana Perminova, Director of the Center for Environmental Certification and Labelling of the NGO Living Planet
Ukrainian type I ecolabelling program
The success story of the ecolabelling program implemented since 2003 by the NGO Living Planet with the support of the Ministry of Ecology means compliance with the international standard ISO 14024, competence and reliability of expert assessment, which is confirmed by accreditation, transparency of development, harmonization and adoption of ecolabelling standards, services, international cooperation and recognition of evaluation results.
Ecologically certified products of Ukrainian producers, marked with the label "Green Crane", are successfully sold on the Ukrainian market and exported as more environmentally friendly to 34 countries.
Olexiy Verenikin, founder and CEO of DeLaMark LLC
About ecological detergents of TM DeLaMark
The success story of the small company DeLaMark lies in its focus on the sustainable production of detergents and cosmetics that meet the requirements of ecolabelling standards. In 2014, the company's detergents became the first in Ukraine environmentally certified in accordance with the international standard ISO 14024. From year to year production develops, and the range of products labeled with Green Crane is growing and conquering new markets.
Stanislav Zinchenko, Chairman of the Committee on Industrial Ecology and Sustainable Development of the European Business Association
The problems of green market development at the national level are the declarative attitude of the state to support green modernization. The transition to new more resource-efficient, low-waste and cleaner technologies for the production of products that will meet the requirements of European environmental standards requires large resources and government support. Promoting fair ecolabelling and green public procurement is also a significant factor that will motivate businesses to comply with voluntary standards and additional certification.
Oleg Tsilvik, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Consumers' Union of Ukraine
The growing demand for more environmentally friendly and safer products motivates bona fide manufacturers to modernize and improve their product. Others break the law by choosing a simpler way - to declare untested environmental benefits or product characteristics.
Improving the legislation requires a clear definition of the concepts of "ecolabelling", "environmental declarations", the distinction between organic and environmental certification.
Accreditation should be made mandatory for conformity assessment bodies that provide certificates and the right to use labels that provide market advantage, combined with increased liability, including penalties, for misleading the consumer through the use of ecolabels.
Inna Yareskovska, Legal Adviser of the NGO Living Planet
The main purpose of the bill is to regulate the use of ecolabels and declarations to overcome unfair labels and declarations and to provide consumers with reliable and sufficient information about the environmental performance of goods and services to enable them to make informed choices based on environmental interests. The presented recommendations were prepared in the framework of one of the tasks of the EU4Environment project.
Svitlana Berzina, President of the All-Ukrainian NGO Living Planet
Further development of the green market in Ukraine requires further improvement of legislation. As part of the project, we will continue to work on the implementation of the provisions of the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 06 July 2011 № 691/2011 on European environmental accounting and reporting which determines which products, technologies and services can be considered environmentally friendly. After that, we will work on the criteria of eligibility of state support for producers of environmental products, in particular for small and medium enterprises.
Lesya Nikolaeva, UN Environment Program, EU4Environment project representative
I sincerely thank the speakers and participants of the workshop, representatives of the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Ecology, the EU Delegation to Ukraine and our national partners - NGO Living Planet - for joint and fruitful work on implementing legislative initiatives in the field of ecolabelling and certification. The proposed changes to the legislation of Ukraine in the field of ecolabelling will strengthen Ukraine's potential for sustainable development, based on economic growth, attracting "green" investment to develop a highly competitive socially oriented market economy combined with a high level of environmental protection. The EU4Environment continues to work to improve legislation, develop criteria, increase the application and awareness of ecolabelling in Ukraine, including the implementation of sustainable public procurement.
Moderator
Roman Filonenko, Deputy Director of the Department of Waste Management and Environmental Safety - Head of the Department of Environmental Safety of the Ministry of Ecology, a representative of the Ministry in the Coordinating Council for Ecolabelling.
Organizers
The United Nations Environment Program together with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine and the NGO Living Planet.
The workshop is part of the EU-funded EU4Environment program, which helps six countries in six partner countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, preserve their natural capital and improve the quality of the environment for people by supporting activities, related to environmental protection, demonstrating and unlocking opportunities for environmental growth and creating mechanisms for better management of environmental risks and consequences.
The next workshop under the EU4Environment project will be held on 12 October at 10:00 and will focus on the presentation of new criteria for sustainable public procurement and ecolabelling standards developed under the project:
- Repair and construction of roads (SPP criteria);
- Food services and food products (SPP criteria);
- Furniture, floor coverings and timber products (type I ecolabelling);
- Plastic products (type I ecolabelling).
We will be happy to provide you with additional information and answer any questions you may have about the EU4Environment project and the topic of the workshop. Contact person Olena Ivanova, NGO Living Planet, tel. + 38-067-886-31-93, info@zhiva-planeta.org.ua
