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The eco industry in Australia is booming with products and services popping up everywhere under the label of "eco-friendly" "environmentally friendly" "sustainable" and "green". As a consequence, codes and guidelines are being developed to create standards which dictate what these terms actually mean and who can use them on their products. We present information on these codes so that you know exactly what they mean and can decide whether a particular code satisfies your own standards.

The following is not a comprehensive list of certification standards. However, many products that claim to be environmentally friendly but do not bare the insignia of the following certification standards are just making it up themselves.

(Thank you Total Environment Centre for providing much of the following information).

Australian Certified Organic (organics)
Energy Rating (white goods)
Forest Stewardship Council (timber industry)
Free Range Farmers Association
Good Environmental Choice (consumer, building and industrial goods)
Green Globe (tourism)
Green Power (energy)
Marine Stewardship Council (fisheries)
NASAA (organics)

AUSTRALIAN CERTIFIED ORGANIC
www.australianorganic.com.au

Certification ACO is Australia's largest certifier for organic and biodynamic produce. ACO has over 1300 operators within its certification system. ACO provides certification services to operators from all sectors of the organics industry. Certification ensures compliance with national standards and allows trace back of products to their origin.

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ENERGY RATING
www.energyrating.gov.au

Energy Rating is a standard of the National Appliance and Equipment Energy Efficiency Program (NAEEEP). NAEEEP is funded by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments. The program covers various end-use energy efficiency standards, both mandatory and voluntary. Its main resource is the Energy Rating comparative database for white goods which is a major source of information looking to compare the energy efficiency of different products. The more stars on the Energy Rating stamp a product is given, the more energy efficient it is.

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FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL (FSC)
www.fscoax.org

The FSC was founded in 1994 and is an international body which accredits certification organisations in order to guarantee the authenticity of their claims. In all cases the process of certification is initiated voluntarily by forest managers who request the services of a certification organisation. The goal of the FSC is to promote environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world's forests by establishing a worldwide standard of recognised and respected Principles of Forest Stewardship.

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FREE RANGE FARMERS ASSOCIATION
www.freerangefarmers.com.au

The Free Range Farmers Association Incorporated is a group of egg producers committed to creating a standard of animal welfare and food integrity within the egg industry. FRFA is part funded by the Federal Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business though the Gippsland Area Consultative Committee.FRFA standards and practices are based on the Farm Animal Welfare Council "five freedoms".

1.Freedom from hunger and thirst
2. Freedom from discomfort
3. Freedom from pain, injury or disease
4. Freedom to express normal behaviour
5. Freedom from fear and distress

Natural behaviours for laying hens requires the ability to roam widely in search of insects, dust bathe, wing flap and socialise with other hens. Because our hens are not mutilated in any way they are able to follow their natural instincts.The free range system incorporates natural poultry keeping methods. It is land based to ensure that the hens are happy, healthy and free and limited stocking density per acre is to provide both land and environmental sustainability.

FRFA have an accreditations scheme which is designed to enable consumers to readily identify the product of farms that comply with the Associations published standards for free-range egg production. Such farms will have been inspected by an appointed Independent Inspector to ensure that all management practices are appropriate to the concept of free-range egg production. Additionally processes will be in place to ensure that only eggs produced on an accredited farm are sold as accredited free-range eggs. This includes an audit trail for eggs delivered and bought in from other accredited farms.

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GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL CHOICE
www.aela.org.au

The Good Environmental Choice label was founded in 2000 and is administered by the Australian Environmental Labelling Association Inc, a non-profit non-government organisation with a national outreach. The full product life cycle label is product focused with standards in a range of consumer, building and industrial products. The program is self declared to comply with ISO 14 024: International Standard for Third Party Environmental Labelling and Declaration Programs (this means they have not been independently ISO accredited but claim to follow this standard).

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GREEN GLOBE
www.greenglobe21.com

Green Globe 21 is the Global Benchmarking, Certification and improvement system for sustainable travel and tourism. It is based on Agenda 21 and principles for Sustainable Development endorsed by 182 Heads of State in the United Nations Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit. It provides companies, communities and consumers wish a path to sustainable travel and tourism. Green Globe provides benchmarking and certification for over 20 business sectors in the travel and tourism industry and has participants in all continents and 48 countries.

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GREEN POWER
www.greenpower.com.au

The Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) was established by the NSW government in 1996 to promote products and services that reduce energy related greenhouse emissions while achieving economic, environmental and social benefits for the NSW community. SEDA pursues this objective by fostering sustainable energy supply and end use through education and market transformation, targeted energy efficiency programs, and financial support to emerging sustainable energy technologies.

SEDA established the Green Power Accreditation Program in 1997. The program which SEDA now manages on behalf of the National Green Power Accreditation Steering Group was expanded nationally in 2000. The Steering group is comprised of member state agencies from Victoria, Queensland, the ACT, South Australia and Western Australia.

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MARINE STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL (MSC)
www.msc.org

The MSC's role is to re-organise, via the certification program, well-managed fisheries and to harness consumer preference for products bearing the MSC label of approval. The MSC is a non-profit international organisation. Australia hosts the first fishery certified by the MSC standard (West Australian Rock Lobster Fishery) and has some 25 products from certified fisheries available in Australian retail outlets including fish from the NZ hoki fishery and the Alaskan salmon fishery.

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NASAA CERTIFIED ORGANIC
www.nasaa.com.au

NASAA is an international organic certification body that provides certification services across Australia and South East Asia.

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