Good Environmental Choice Australia

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Benefits

The Australian Environmental Certification Program administered by Good Environmental Choice Australia is an environmental labelling and evaluation service which is oriented towards increasing market benefits for producers of environmentally preferable products and providers of environmentally preferable services. The primary purpose of the association is to manage the development of the ecolabel standards and to overview the administration of the labelling scheme. Some additional effort is directed towards guiding business with better information and opportunities on topics surrounding environmental design, environmental consumerism, and corporate environmental management. The overall aims of the Association is similar to that defined in the international standard which guides this certification scheme.

" To encourage the demand for and supply of products which reduce the stress on the environment during their entire life-cycle."

Business and Industry: Now manufacturers in Australia, be they large or small, can access an independent accreditation system for their product or service. The years of hard work in development and manufacture for better environmental performance can now be recognised by the market. GECA will also work with other industry associations to develop standards which will allow members to gain recognition for leading their industry sector. An Australian eco-label can bring industry significant market benefits in consumer acceptance, purchasing preference and government and corporate purchasing decisions.

Government: With the EPA ecolabelling scheme folding in the early 90's, the Federal Government has been working on a large range of other market and non-market incentives to green industry, or at least bring certain key players to cleaner production methods. GECA is a key avenue for an independent market mechanism to help the market realise benefits from better environmental performance. The Association aims to use the best scientific and technical minds in developing standards which are suitable for the Australian market and government policy for ecologically sustainable development. We are eager to work with and involve all levels of government in ensuring that the Australian Environmental Choice label is the best possible product for the Australian market, and Australians for now and into the future. Importantly we are committed to involving all stakeholders in the development of the standards prior to final publication and subsequent revisions.

Consumers: The Australian public has been subjected to a large amount of environmental fanfare over the last few decades by the corporate sector with regard to environmental performance of their products and services. At the same time, the few irresponsible corporates have shed bad light on otherwise progressive industries. A new ecolabel will deliver to the Australian consumer a clear and independent indication by which to guide their environmental preference. All certified products and services will be assessed to published standards and the assessment overview will be available via our web site. All certified products will receive rights to place a clear ecolabel on their product and provide details to customers where to get more information. Finally everyday shoppers can trust an eco-label which is independent and governments and corporates can exercise their environmental purchasing policies.

Australian consumer environmental preference is strong and growing. Increasingly not on are consumers ready and able to direct their consumer purchasing in favour of environmentally preferably products but so it government, industry and other Australian institutions.

Consumer Environmental Preference IN Australia

The Environmental Monitor: Global Public Opinion on the Environment. 2000 International Report. Environics International Ltd, (Global opinion face to face of telephone survey of 1000 citizens in 34 countries resulting in a total of 35,000 people).

Most Important National Problem: Environment 39%

Personal Concern A Great Deal About The Environment: 35%

Own Health Affected By Environment Problems - A Great Deal: 21%

Own Health Affected By Environment Problems - Fair Amount: 35%

Water Pollution is a Very Serious Problem: 69%

Air Pollution is a Very Serious Problem: 54%

Depletion of Natural Resources is a Very Serious Problem: 68%

Loss of Rainforest is a Very Serious Problem: 76%

Ozone Depletion is a Very Serious Problem: 57%

Loss of Animal and Land Species is a Very Serious Problem: 67%

Automobile Emissions is a Very Serious Problem: 59%

Production and Use of Chemicals is a Very Serious Problem: 47%

Climate Change is a Very Serious Problem: 49%

Oil Production and Use is a Very Serious Problem: 38%

Genetic Modification of Food Crops is a Very Serious Problem: 39%

Major Causes of Extreme Weather is Man-Made: 56%

Environmental Protection Contributes to Economic Growth: Strongly Agree: 29%

Environmental Protection Contributes to Economic Growth: Somewhat Agree: 40%

Willingness to Pay 10% More for Green Cleaning Product: Strongly Agree: 34%

Willingness to Pay 10% More for Green Cleaning Product: Somewhat Agree: 44%

Willingness to Pay 10% More for Green Electricity: Strongly Agree: 39%

Willingness to Pay 10% More for Green Electricity: Somewhat Agree: 39%

Willingness to Pay 10% More for Gasoline to Reduce Air Pollution: Strongly Agree: 21%

Willingness to Pay 10% More for Gasoline to Reduce Air Pollution: Somewhat Agree: 43%

Have Avoided A Damaging Brand: 61%

Have Considered Avoided A Damaging Brand: 9%

Have Gathered Environmental Information: 42%

Have Voiced An Environmental Concern: 23%

Appropriateness of Environmental Laws: Not at all far enough: 34%

Appropriateness of Environmental Laws: Not quite far enough: 42%

Responsibility for Paying Most of the Disposal Costs: Manufacturer: 20%

Willingness to Pay More for a Green Car: 31%

Willingness to Pay More for Green Fuel: 32%

Industry is Working Hard to Ensure a Clean Environment: Strongly or Somewhat Disagree: 48%

The Future Generations

The real test of this ecolabel is how it helps generate incentives for the market participants to think about their product design and development process to minimise impacts on the environment. If it succeeds in reshaping the market incentives on environmental performance then the real winners will be those that inherit the Australian environmental and cultural legacy. The future generations. Wasn't one of the foundation to ecologically sustainable development intergenerational equity? We think so.....

Other schemes overseas:

Download a detailed report on the impact and development of ecolabelling schemes through the world prepared by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

GECA is the Australian verification office, and has mutual recognition arrangements with the following national ecolabelling programs:


Taiwan	Thailand	Korea	China	U.S.A.	Global Ecolabelling Network