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India announced on 2 October 2024 the new Eco-mark Certification Rules aligning with the Lifestyle for Environment Mission (LiFE) and replacing the Eco-mark Scheme of 1991. The Eco-mark Rules will provide labels for products that meet approved environmental criteria.
This is a landmark achievement of PAGE as the work led by the partnership in India contributed to the new Eco-mark Certification Rules. By improving the Eco-Mark Scheme, India is positioned to lead by example in promoting eco-friendly products, both nationally and internationally.
The new Eco-mark Certification Rules covers products ranging from cosmetics, edible oils, tea, coffee, soaps and detergents to textiles and electric/electronical goods. The government’s notification indicates that the eco-labelling of products will enable consumers to make informed purchase decisions as well as encourage manufacturers to transition to the production of environment-friendly products, leading to the promotion of green industries.
PAGE has supported the Government of India in conducting analytical studies which contributed to the revamp of its Eco-Mark Scheme: a programme designed to encourage environmentally friendly products. Recognizing the importance of ecolabels in promoting sustainable production and consumption, PAGE partnered with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to identify key barriers and chart a path forward for the scheme.
As part of this effort, PAGE supported a thorough review of the scheme’s structure including institutional frameworks to product categories and certification processes. A comparative analysis of global and national best practices helped identify critical gaps, providing a clear understanding on successful ecolabel standards and its potential alignment with India’s Eco-Mark scheme suiting to national and industry needs.
This review resulted in the development of a detailed framework aimed at improving the scheme, including recommendations for:
These inputs were instrumental in shaping the “Draft Eco-Mark Certification Rules, 2023” officially notified by MoEFCC in October 2023 and finalized in September 2024. The updated rules mark a significant milestone in the evolution of the Eco-Mark Scheme, establishing a clear and improved framework for product certification, market surveillance, and consumer trust. This achievement was recognized by the Government of India during the PAGE India donor meeting in March 2024.
Building on this progress, PAGE is continuing its support by helping the government develop operational guidelines for the scheme. These guidelines will address key components like designating verifiers, conducting market surveillance, and verifying the authenticity of products awarded the Eco-Mark. Additionally, PAGE is assisting in the development of guidelines for an online knowledge platform to facilitate information sharing.
PAGE’s support has been essential in this process, and ongoing collaboration with UNEP’s Eco-Advance project will help ensure that India’s experience is shared globally, contributing to the broader efforts around sustainable public procurement and ecolabelling.
Since 2018, PAGE’s activities in India focus on green manufacturing in textile sector, green rural development, green jobs, and enabling mechanisms for sector wise transition. It includes initiatives such as Sustainable Public Procurement, Ecolabelling, and strengthening institutional capacities for mainstreaming Inclusive Green Economy (IGE) principles in urban policy making.
PAGE is an inter-agency programme that helps countries transition to green, circular, and inclusive economies. It brings together the expertise of five UN agencies – UNEP, UNDP, ILO, UNIDO and UNITAR – that supports 22 partner countries in their transition to an inclusive green economy by providing policy advice, assessments, capacity development and analytical tools outputs.
UNEP is the lead coordinating agency for work carried out by the partnership in India.
Originally published on www.un-page.org