The Center notifies the rules governing the labeling of organic products

The Union Environment Ministry has notified the Ecomark Rules 2024, which lays down guidelines for labeling of eco-friendly products.

In its policies notified on September 26 and published on October 1, the ministry states that it intends to stimulate demand for eco-friendly products that cause fewer negative effects on the environment, thereby supporting the principles of “LiFE (Lifestyle for the Environment)”, promoting lower consumption energy, resource efficiency and conservation, circular economy and preventing misleading information about the environmental friendliness of products.

First proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow on November 1, 2021, as a way to combat the climate crisis, LiFE is at the heart of India’s climate goals.

The draft Ecomark 2023 Certification Regulations were published on October 11, 2023.

The criteria for awarding an Ecomark to a product include the production process, including the source of raw material; use of natural resources; and its impact on the environment in accordance with the notification.

These include minimizing or eliminating waste generation and environmental emissions; limiting the use of non-renewable resources, including non-renewable energy sources and natural resources; limiting the use of any materials that have an adverse impact on the environment; and whether it is recyclable, made from recycled material, or both.

Independent experts warned that continuous monitoring of production processes and their effects would be necessary to be awarded the Ecomark.

“Labeling as a regulatory mechanism requires certain conditions to be met to fulfill its purpose. This includes a robust institutional framework underpinned by government intent to ensure compliance, responsive producers adhering to environmental ethics and public sentiment to which both institutions and producers are accountable,” said Kanchi Kohli, an independent law and policy researcher, on the guidelines. “These were critical gaps in the highly technical and centralized pollution regulations in many parts of the world, including India. The labeling regulatory regime must address these gaps and ensure universal buy-in, so that it does not remain another framework unable to achieve its goals.”

An application for Ecomark must be submitted to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Once an application is received, the CPCB itself or a verifying agency will check whether the product meets the specified conditions. After this verification, the CPCB or the agency will prepare a report and submit the same to the CPCB within 60 days from the date of such verification. If the CPCB finds that the product meets the conditions, it may award the Ecomark to the product.

If the CPCB finds that the Ecomark holder has furnished false information or willfully withheld any required information, after giving the Ecomark holder an opportunity to be heard, it may suspend or cancel the Ecomark.

The notification stated that the Center will constitute a Steering Committee, comprising members from several ministries, which will be responsible for the effective implementation of these principles. Verifiers engaged by the CPCB or CPCB independently monitor compliance with the conditions and report annually.

Former pollution control board officials said they were reviewing the notification.

The European Union (EU) has an Ecomark policy. According to the EU, the Ecomark project was designed to raise environmental awareness among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in industrial areas, without negatively impacting their entrepreneurial goals, thereby enabling them to turn environmental challenges into opportunities.

Mission LiFE is an India-led global mass movement that aims to galvanize individual and community action to protect and preserve the environment. According to the LiFE website, there are three stages to this movement, including a change in demand, a change in supply and a change in policy.