Certifiably Sustainable? The Role of Third-Party Certification Systems: Report of a Workshop (2010) / Chapter Skim
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4 Standard Development and Implementation
4 Standard Development and Implementation
Pages 27-38
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From page 27... ...
Some of the key issues workshop participants identified when considering standard development are stakeholder engagement, flexibility and credibility of the standards, implementation obstacles, and compliance costs. Other issues, such as third-party audits, were not discussed in detail but were acknowledged as being important parts of a credible process.
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From page 28... ...
Instead, standard setting is often a political process that at best is informed by science.1 Additionally, certification programs do not always transfer well across different climatic zones or ecosystems. Singapore established its own green building program, Green Mark, in part because it considered the LEED standard inappropriate for tropical climates.
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From page 29... ...
hosts multistakeholder policy and position-related workshops and panels (e.g., a 2009 workshop toward Product standards for sustainability) that are not intended to result in specific standards, but are held to facilitate dialogs on issues of national importance and to potentially develop related recommendations.
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From page 30... ...
As a result, existing standard systems appear to be contributing to a market differentiation, but not exactly a transformation. Market forces alone do not seem to be capable of compelling noncompliant producers to change practices or leave the marketplace.
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From page 31... ...
To that end, ANSI has facilitated national conversations on product sustainability standards and legal issues with ecolabeling. Participants did point out that certified standard setters might be using their ANSI accreditation (awarded on a case by case basis)
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From page 32... ...
certIfIaBlY sustaInaBle? BOX 3 Marine Stewardship Council and Sustainable Fisheries History and Mission The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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From page 33... ...
standard deVeloPment and ImPlementatIon a dvise consumers on what is sustainably best, acceptable, and worst to eat. The Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Blue Ocean Institute, the Marine Conserva tion Society, and the Environmental Defense Fund (and possibly others)
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From page 34... ...
Participants remarked that many programs lack sufficient business skills and schemes have poor business models. Certification programs have been developed as market-based approaches, but existing programs tend to be heavily subsidized (typically by NGOs and foundations)
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From page 35... ...
There are notable exceptions for organic produce and fair trade products, and an emerging market for green building practices. This latter market helps illustrate a participant's remark that compliance costs must be measured against the potential benefits -- the green building sector appears to be enjoying growth thanks to its ability to communicate (and quantify)
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From page 36... ...
Included in these transaction costs are mundane but substantial costs associated with data gathering, document management, and report preparation. Loan programs were suggested as a way to bring compliance costs down, and the Rainforest Alliance is now working with the International Finance Corporation on programs to help offset one-time costs.
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From page 37... ...
If financing is concentrated on developing standards but not to helping producers meet the standards, certification schemes may have a real difficulty moving beyond their current niche applications.
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