Minister congratulates eco-labelling programme

Minister congratulates eco-labelling programme

The trust responsible for testing and labelling environmentally-preferable products was applauded last night by the Minister for the Environment.

Speaking at the Govt3 Awards, the annual environmental recognition for government agencies, Hon David Benson-Pope congratulated the general manager of the NZ Ecolabelling Trust, Robin Taylor for the programme’s growth. The Minister also reinforced the lead role that must be played by government in environmentally responsible practices and purchases.

Mr Benson-Pope congratulated Environmental Choice on its inventive use of e-book technology to provide a paperless, interactive display on products of certified companies. The unit, designed and made by Auckland company The Graphic Café, was set up in Parliament Buildings and enabled government executives, and the Minister, to flip through eco-labelled products and view the commercial for Environmental Choice, currently being played with the film An Inconvenient Truth.

Robin Taylor says Ministerial recognition of the growth of Environmental Choice is a further strengthening of government support for the eco-labelling programme, which has recently been validated in a review by the Global Ecolabelling Network.

“The Ministry for the Environment sustainability team has also enthusiastically promoted the label, and its benefits to licensees will be augmented by their future support. The expectation for sustainable practices stated so clearly by the Minister will be welcomed by the major companies that have fronted up, as leaders of their industries, for the rigorous testing required to gain the Environmental Choice certification.”

Robin Taylor highlighted the benefits of government agencies using the Environmental Choice certification as a purchasing guide, consistent with the Minister’s expectations of environmental leadership. “Government support of these brands in procurement policies is a recognition that these corporate citizens have earned and deserve.”

Environmental Choice is celebrating the most active period of product assessment enquiries since its inception in 1992.

ENDS

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