GEN Ecolabelling Training Programme

Global Ecolabelling Network has partnered with UN Environmental Programme and funded by International Climate Initiative to reproduce a modernised version of the 2009 ecolabelling training programme.

This training has nine modules with different focuses on:

• What are ecolabels?
• Why and how ecolabels contribute to environmental outcomes;
• How ecolabels are applied to product groups;
• The governance (policies & procedures) required to ensure credible certification;
• The successful market transformation through ecolabelled products; and
• The role of stakeholders including governments and civil society organizations in promoting and increasing the effectiveness of ecolabels.

Who is this programme for?

Any ecolabelling body, a partner, buyer or policy maker of ecolabels, this programme will help them build knowledge in all aspects of ecolabelling and understand the environmental impacts and importance of using credible labelling. This programme is also useful for manufacturers and auditors to discover the mechanisms of ecolabels and how to ensure success. Diverse stakeholders will also have the opportunity to expand their knowledge on the economic and environmental theory of life cycle ecolabels and learn to integrate their knowledge into their workplace/system to create positive environmental impacts and changes.

Consumers are becoming more mindful of how their consumption and purchasing choices can make a positive impact towards sustainable consumption. They are now more conscious of choosing more sustainable options and increasingly request more information to better understand, quantify, compare, and contrast the sustainable attribute of the products their purchase. They are highly interested in reducing their environmental footprint. Therefore, brands need to contribute to this shift and integrated variables that can improve their communication and marketing practices.  

 In order to support this consumption, shift to achieve more effective and reliable engagement with consumers, UNEP and the Akatu Institute developed a video presenting the Guidelines for Providing Product Sustainability Information. The video linked below presents the 10 principles that make up the Guidelines and provides concrete examples for each of them.