To strengthen good practices in the field of sustainable consumption and production, UN Environment and the International Trade Centre launched the brand new Guidelines for Providing Product Sustainability Information.
The Road Testing of the Guidelines was an opportunity for companies and standard-setting organisations to contribute to the implementation of SDG 12 in an effective and practical way, while at the same time self-assessing the way they are communicating with consumers about sustainability. This also ensured that road testers were up to date with edgy references and promoted their efforts on consumer information internationally. Road testers have the opportunity to be listed in the publication that will be soon launched by UN Environment and also have their good practices featured on this document.
Implemented in
- Africa
- Asia / Pacific
- Europe and Central Asia
- Latin America / Caribbean
- Middle East
- North America
Sectors of activity
Consumer Goods, Education, Food & Beverage, Public Procurement, Industrial Sector
Type of initiative
Capacity Building & Implementation, Research, Analysis, Assessment, Other
Type of lead actor
United Nations / intergovernmental organizations
Start date
16/11/2017
Submitted on:
16/11/2017Objectives
The Guidelines offer companies and standard-setting organisations clear guidance on making effective, trustworthy claims to consumers, on product-related sustainability information. They are applicable to all regions and companies of all sizes.
The objectives of the road testing were: to understand how feasible it is to apply the Guidelines, including over different sectors and type of claims; to identify eventual gaps and challenges; and to make available case studies on their implementation.
Activities
As collected through the One Planet Reporting
No activities have yet been reported under this initiative
Impact and Results
Overall, the road testing confirmed that the Guidelines are applicable to companies of all regions and sectors, which can use the Guidelines for the improvement of existing product sustainability information or the development of upcoming claims. Within the companies, the Guidelines were seen as a most useful resource for sustainability, marketing and advertising professionals. The Guidelines have also proven to be applicable to standard-setting and labelling bodies of different sectors. These organizations can compare and possibly adapt or update their schemes based on the Guidelines’ principles.
More information will be available in the full report.
Next steps and how to get involved
In the Consumer Information Programme, we aim for collective impact and collaboration. Organizations interested to learn more about the project, to share ideas and join the network are invited to contact ciscp@un.org.
Related content
Documents
pdf, 1.28 MB
pdf, 1.97 MB
pdf, 363.98 KB
