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Speeches 

 

Online guide: enviro-friendly products, services

Trevor Mallard

11.08.2008

Speech notes for launch of online ecolabel directory

(With Minister of Commerce Lianne Dalziel). Level 20 Bowen House, Parliament.

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I'm delighted to be here for the launch of this directory.

I know it will be a help not just to householders but to exporters, suppliers and people who buy products and services on behalf of business and government.

In recent years the rush by companies to be seen as environmentally friendly has seen a confusing array of standards, certificates, labels in the marketplace.It can be difficult to know how robust some of this environmental labelling is.

The launch of this directory is therefore timely. It will help consumers and businesses sort out how credible different ecolabels are, as well as self-claims such as "biodegradeable" and "eco-friendly"

In New Zealand we are making good progress in the fast-changing area of ecolabelling. I was particularly pleased earlier this month to learn that our own product life-cycle based ecolabel has itself been given a big tick by the British government.

Environmental Choice New Zealand was cited as an example of best practice in environmental labelling internationally by Britain's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Defra studied 207 standards and methods used to measure environmental sustainability over a wide range of products and put Environmental Choice New Zealand up with world leaders in the field such as Fair Trade, Forest Stewardship Council, and Energy Star.

That's not just a feather in the cap for Environmental Choice New Zealand, which has been government owned and supported since 1992, but helps reinforce that all-important "clean, green" brand that helps New Zealand's exporters and traders to compete in international markets.

Accurate information on the sustainability of products and services is being demanded by consumers worldwide and I want to congratulate everyone involved in the development of this online ecolabel directory.

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