Certifiably Sustainable? The Role of Third-Party Certification Systems: Report of a Workshop (2010) / Chapter Skim
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3 The Landscape of Certification Schemes
3 The Landscape of Certification Schemes
Pages 19-26
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From page 19... ...
As certain standards gain market share, it is not clear whether they are contributing to a market transformation, or certifying a small parallel universe at the top of the market. This chapter highlights some of the key issues participants raised in regards to the emergence of certification schemes, specifically, the recent proliferation of standards, the uneven application across and within sectors of the economy, the experience of leading programs, and some of the impacts and unintended consequences of these programs.
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From page 20... ...
All of this activity in the marketplace is sometimes mistaken for consumer demand, but as Chapter 5 explores further, the demand for certified sustainable products is not nearly as concrete or pervasive as some might think. Instead, the rise of certification can be traced to the efforts of NGOs, industries, and sometimes governments, to develop voluntary, market-based mechanisms that help reduce adverse social or environmental impacts.
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From page 21... ...
The harmful material consequences of purchasing uncertified products in those cases fall directly on purchasers, however, unlike products claiming benefits to the environment, human rights, or future generations. It is this claim of unseen benefits that a certification system attempts to convey.
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From page 22... ...
Participants were quick to point out, though, that even in sectors where certification is achieving a tangible market share, it does not indicate that the market is transforming, or that it is approaching a tipping point. Instead, existing programs tend to benchmark the best practices for a sector without penalizing the worst performers.
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From page 23... ...
This does not diminish the importance of those improvements, but it calls into question whether or not certification alone can transform entire markets. LEADING AND EMERGING STANDARDS Though the landscape of certified products is crowded, and environmental claims abound, there are but a handful of certification programs that have emerged as industry leaders.
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From page 24... ...
was based on the FSC model as a way to certify sustainable fisheries management. Like its predecessor, though, the MSC has been criticized for exhibiting uneven geographical coverage (e.g., 89 percent of MSC-certified exports contain Alaskan salmon or New Zealand hoki [Ellis and Keane, 2008]
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From page 25... ...
Programs have focused on delivering certified sustainable products to the market, with considerably less consideration of who the targeted consumers might be, how added costs might be distributed, and how this emerging market might grow. Household consumers, as one participant pointed out, do not get to internalize the benefits of buying green because many of the benefits accrue to a distant ecosystem or the global commons.
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From page 26... ...
Moreover, certification programs typically do not have exit strategies. As Chapter 7 explores further, this has serious ramifications because most programs are heavily dependent on subsidies, and are expected to eventually be able to scale up to cover global markets.
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