China’s The Environmental Labeling Program of China

Statement of Professor Xia Qing, Director, and Ms. Yu Jie, Deputy Director of the Secretariat of China’s Certification Committee forCommittee for Environmental Product Labeling Products (SCCEL)

“Ecolabelling: Trade Opportunities & Challenges”

World Trade Organization Public Symposium

“Challenges Ahead on the Road to Cancun”

June 16-18, 2003


Dear Mr. cChairman, lLadies and gGentlemen:

My name is Ping Xia. As Director of the China Ecolabeling Center, I am pleased to make this presentation on On behalf of the Secretariat of China’s Certification Committee for Environmental Product Labeling (SCCEL)., I would like to take this opportunity to give our best regards to our colleagues from all over the world, and thank all of you for the technical support and convincting encouragement you have given us. WhileToday, I am presentinga general picture of theChina’s environmental labeling program. of China here,To many of you, this may seemfeelfamiliar because it is based on the work and technology you have developed in your own ecolabeling programs. Let me assure you, as well as others who may not be familiar with China’s environmental labeling program, that as we continue to develop our program in China, continued harmonization and coordination with ongoing ecolabeling work in other countries is our goal and expectation. and excited since the past of China's environmental labeling has been imprinted with your technology and more coordination and harmonization with you is expected for its future.

  1. ProposalHistory and development of theChina’s environmental labeling program of China
  2. Program proposal

In the practice of implementing the sustainable development, In early 1993, Xie Zhenhua, the MinisteraAdministrator of the State Environmental Protection Administration of China, pointed out that "sustainable consumption is the link connecting the public with the objective of sustainable development,", and "we should enhance the environmental awareness of the public and encourage people to identify themselves with and care for environmental protection from the perspective of their own interest.". He specifically proposed to draw lessons from the German Blue Angel Program of Germany and Japanthe Eco Mark Program of Japanprojects for developing market-orientated means for environmental management and executing the environmental labeling program of China. Therefore, when theChina’s environmental labeling program of China was first proposed, it was aimed at realizing two enhancements through the market-oriented goals: (1) , that is to say, firstly,To enhance the environmental awareness of the public and encourage public participation so that the money in the hands of the public will turn into thea vote for supporting environmental protection; and (2)secondly, To enhance the market competitiveness of Chinese enterprises through the production of in order that the environmental labeling will guide the enterprises to produce much more and much better green products.

On March 31, 1993, the State Environmental Protection Administration of China issued a document, entitled "Developing environmental labeling in China,", to the local governments of all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government.

On August 25,1993, the State Environmental Protection Administration of China published the mark of China's environmental labeling, which is reproduced on the title page of this document. It is made up of green mountains, green water, and the sun in the center surrounded by ten rings. The green mountains, green water, and the sun in the center represent the environment that human beings depend on for their living. The surrounding ten rings tightly interconnect with each other to indicate public participation in environmental protection. Besides, in the Chinese language, "ring" is the same character as the first character in "environment.". Its implied meaning is "all the people join hands in the protection of the environment upon which they depend for their living.".

On May 17, 1994, China’s Certification Committee for Environmental Product Labeling Products(CCEL) was established with representatives from eleven State Council departments, such as CSBTS (State Bureau of Technical Supervision of China), SDPC (State Development Planning Commission), and SETC (State Economic and Trade Commission), and SCCEL became a third party certification guiding and managing body. Xie Zhenhua, administrator of the State Environmental Protection Administration of Chinawais the dDirector gGeneral of SCCEL, the . The work entity of CCEL is the secretariat of which is, located inside the Chinesea Academy of Environmental Science. The dDirector of theSCCEL’s secretariat is Professor Xia Qing. The secretariat has organized research personnel in the formulation of a number of certification standards and the establishment of the conformity assessment procedures. Simultaneously, the secretariat is gradually builthas evolved into an independent certification entity. After nine years of efforts, SCCEL has developed from the original three full-time certification auditors to the only authoritative green product certification body inside the country with over forty full-time staffs and nearly a hundred part-time personnel.

  1. Definition of priorities

TheChina’s environmental labeling program of China has absorbedstudied and utilized the experiences of other countries’ ecolabeling from the same programs, and has defined the following six priority categories of priorities are defined:

2.1 The category of iInternational environmental agreements performance

China has signed and is implementing For promotion of the 37 international environmental conventions and agreements, including the Montreal Protocol, which calls for the elimination signed by the Chinese government, for instance, substitute products for the chlorofluorocarbonof chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). type substance represented by implementation of the Montreal Protocol. There are six standards in this category: (1) domestic refrigeration appliances household refrigerators; (2) non-CFC industrial and commercial refrigeration equipment; (3) halon-free fire extinguishers substitute alkylogen fire extinguishers; (4) Substitutes for ozone depleting substances (ODS) products for ozone-depleting consumption substances; (5) non-CFC foam plastics; and (6) non-CFC aerosols.

2.2Renewable and recyclable category

This is the most developed and concentrated category of environmental labeling product standards ofin all countries, including China. It guides the public into understanding that waste is a misplaced resource and promotes the resource orientation of waste. There are six certification standards in this category: (1) recycled paper products; (2) phosphorus gypsum building materials; (3) recycled plastic products; (4) disposable food and drink containers; (5) building blocks; and (6) building sheets.

2.3The category for improving rRegional environmental quality

The environmental behavior of products. This categoryfocuses on products, which improvecanbe integrated into the scale effect of regional and local environmental quality improvement. There are eight certification standards in this category: (1) unleaded gasoline; (2) Hg-Cd-Pb- Ffree non-mercury cadmium and rechargeable lead batteries; (3) laundry detergents; (4) non-mercury dry-cell batteries; (5) low-emissions motorcycles; (6) low-emissions lightweight vehiclescars; (7) solar- powered watches and clocksself-winding wristwatches; and (8) dry type power transformers.

2.4The category for improving habitation environment qQuality of life

Environmental behavior of products. This categoryfocuses on products, whichpossesses the effect of reduceing indoor air and noise pollution. There are 13 certification standards in this category: (1) children's toys; (2) low-noise washing machines; (3) energy-saving and low-noise room air conditioners; (4) energy-saving and low-emission gas rangesovens; (5) sanitary disinfectant aerosols; (6) householddomestic microwave ovens; (7) adhesives; (8) fiberboard related products; (9) plastic waterbuilding tubes and sewage pipes; (10) photocopierss; (11) smokeless mosquito-repellent incense coils; (12) water-based paints; and (13) ceramics.

2.5The category for hHuman health protection

Compared with similar products, products in this category of products haves direct beneficial effects on protecting the physical health of users. There are ten certification standards in this category: (1) soft drinks; (2) energy-saving fluorescent lamps; (3) low-lead ceramics; (4) non-asbestos building materials products; (5) textiless; (6) non-aluminum pressure cookers; (7) safe mothproofing agentsprevention substances; (8) low-radiation color TVstelevision sets; (9) fiber packaging desiccantsdryer for packages; and (10) flying saucer targets clay pigeons.

2.6The category for eEnhancing resources and energy efficiency；

This category of products isare a response to the global climate framework convention. They reduce CO2 discharge, replace fossil energy, and save resources and energy. There are four certification standards in this category: (1) energy-saving electronic ballasts; (2) microcomputers and displays; (3) electromagnetic anti-scale water treatment machines; and (4) energy-saving doors and windows.

As of May, 2003, the State Environmental Protection Administration of China issued a total of nearly 60 certification standards, 47 of which are still in the period of validity：

The first category of certification standards are six: domestic refrigeration utensils, non - CFC industrial and commercial refrigeration equipment, substitute alkylogen fire extinguisher, substitute products for ozonosphere consumption substance, non - CFC foam plastic and aerosol;

The second category of certification standards are six: recycled paper products, phosphorus gypsum building materials, recycled plastic products, one-time food and drink sets, building blocks and building sheets;

The third category of certification standards are eight: leadless motor gasoline, non - mercury cadmium and lead charging battery, detergent, non - mercury dry battery, low-pollution motorcycle, low-pollution lightweight car, optical and kinetic energy wristwatch, dry type power transformer;

The fourth category of certification standards are thirteen: children's playthings, low-noise washing machine, energy-saving and low-noise room air conditioner, energy-saving and low-emission gas oven, sanitary disinsection aerosol, domestic microwave oven, adhesive, artificial board and product, building plastic tubes and pipes, xerographic printer, smokeless mosquito incense coil, water paint and sanitary ceramics;

The fifth category of certification standards are ten: soft drink, energy-saving fluorescent lamp, low-lead ceramics, non - asbestos building products, ecological textile, non - aluminum pressure cooker, safety type moth prevention substance, low-radiation color television set, fiber dryer for packages and flying saucer target;

The sixth category of certification standards are four: energy-saving electronic ballast, microcomputer and display, magneto electric antiscale water treatment machine and energy-saving door and window.

3. Progress of certification

As of May 2003, the State Environmental Protection Administration of China had issued a total of nearly 60 certification standards in the above six categories, 47 of which are still valid.

On the basis of stringent surveillance, annual re-inspection, and disqualification certificate withdrawals for atinfor violation of standards and quality guarantees, from 1994 to May, 2003, there are presently 527 Chinese enterprises, and a total of 3,426 products,have been certified to maintaining the qualification of useing the environmental labeling ten-ring mark. with a total of 3426 products. The status of yearly progress is as follows:

Year / Number of new participants / Number of disqualified participants
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002 / 2
10
27
41
42
49
55
97
219 / 1
6
14
22
5
0
2
0
0

Starting from ince 2001, China's environmental labeling program has taken on a good momentum of doublinged in size each year. for successively two years. This corresponds with the good development of momentum ofor environmental labeling in all countries in recent years. In the economically developed provinces and cities of China, the development of environmental labeling is especially prominent. Of the 527 enterprises having been granted the environmental labeling, 103 are in Guangdong, 62 in Shanghai, 57 in Zhejiang, 45 in Jiangsu, 44 in Shandong, 40 in Beijing, 23 in Hebei, and 16 in Liaoning. Since Tthese eight provinces and cities account for 78% of the total number of the Chinese enterprises, it bodes well for a positive correlation between a boomingpredicting a booming future of Chinese economy and the robust growth of . The brilliant prospect of envirenvironmental labeling is in step with the economy of the country.

II. The China’s environmental labeling program of China cconforms with international standards

1.Introductioncorporation of foreign experiences into theChina’s conformity assessment procedures

Having absorbedlearned from the experiences of Canada, Germany, and Japan, the conformity assessment procedures of environmental labeling in China are being carried out in two phases with multiple steps.

2. The first phase is category selection and standard formulation

2.1 ①New category selection

Product category selection is to ensure that products with similar service objectives or similar functions are covered in the same category so that the consumers can be provided with accurate and comparable information. In accordance with the selected product category, industry experts will conduct technical and economic evaluation, evaluate the impact of environmental labeling on the trade activities, environmental behavior and price of products against ISO 14020, and determine whether the principles of transparency and information publicity and fair competition has ve been followed.

Particular attention has been paid to those international standards that can be conversted equivalently or equally, and full consideration is given to laying the foundation for international mutual recognition, e.g., the published standards for office supplies (printers, facsimile machines, computers and printer paper) and ecological textile standards, etc.

②2.2 Issuance of new standards

After the category feasibility study report is examined and approved, the State Environmental Protection Administration of China issues the assignment for formulation of the environmental labeling technical requirements. A standard compilation team is formed. The team, first of all,produces the draft standard, and sends it to relevant experts and departments for comments fora 50 -days comment period. According to the feedbacks received, the team amends the draft, and submits it for further discussionreview. The State Environmental Protection Administration of China chairs the discussionreview process. The draft is further amended in accordance with the expert opinions, and is then submitted to the State Environmental Protection Administration of China for approval. After being signed by the MinisteraAdministrator, the final standard is issued to the whole country. The review mechanism of three drafts (i.e., draft for soliciting comments, draft for discussion, and draft for approval), based on the feasibility report, guarantees that the environmental labeling standards are authoritative, scientific, and practicable.

（2）3. The second phase is conformity assessment

①3.1 The enterprises at home and abroad that satisfy the certification application conditions submit written applications to the SCCEL.

Certification application conditions: (A). Within one year prior to the application date, the enterprise hasmust not have been fined by environmental protection authorities; (B).Tthe processes of procurement, production, use, sale of raw materials, or recovery, clearance and treatment of waste, must all conform with national standards and arebe effective in reducing environmental pollution, or are have energy-saving and resource-saving characteristics; and (C).Tthe products must conform with the national quality and environmental labeling product standards.

China’s The environmental labeling program of China allows foreign production enterprises to apply for certification of their products sold on the Chinese market through their dealers or file an application directly by themselves.

②3.2 After document review by SCCEL, on-site inspectors will be sent for verification of the application at the location of the applicant’splantenterprise and for examination of its environmental labeling product quality assuranceguarantee system. They will seal thetake a sample of the applied products for which application has been made on -site at the production line, or inside the warestorehouse, and fill in and submit the commission test sheet.

③．3.3 SCCEL will select a laboratorytesting body that , which has to be accredited bypassed national laboratory accreditation system, forto takinge up the product testingcommission and issuinge thean effective test report.

④．3.4 SCCEL will integrateusethe reports of document review, on-site inspection, and sample tests, in writing and write an integrated evaluation report. The report, attached with relevant evidence attached to it, will then be submitted to the technical committee for examination. The dDirector of SCCEL is directly responsible for the technical committee, which is composed of nine well-known experts. The committee will then decides whether or not to grant the certification of environmental labeling or not.

⑤．3.5 SCCEL will sign the contract for use of the environmental labeling mark with the certified enterprise and issue the environmental labeling certification certificate. The annual re-inspectionsurveillance and sample test will be carried out every year. The entire procedure stated above will be repeatedcertified enterprise will apply for renewed certification every three years.

4. The environmental labeling category executes international standards

FromSince 1998 untill September, 2002, the China’s environmental labeling program, based on the nine general principles described in ISO 14020, hasof Chinaworked to integrate completed the integration ofthe requirements of three types of environmental labeling with international standards in accordance with the nine general principles in ISO 14020,: the requirements of (1) ISO 14024 for Type I environmental labeling; (2), the requirements of ISO 14021 for Type II environmental labeling;, and (3)the requirements of ISO 14025 for Type III environmental labeling.

①4.1 Upgrading the Type I environmental labeling level

In accordance with the requirements of international standards, we have established the environmental labeling product quality assuranceguarantee system, i.e. based on the principles of double excellence in both product quality and environmental behavior, abidance by law and compliance with standards, establishment and documentation of the internal audit system, sustainable improvement and documentation of assuranceguarantee system, covering five aspects with 22 elements. We give prominence to the technical requirements of product quality standards and environmental labeling standards. The main linefeature of the system is the "double compliance with the standard" of product quality and environmental behavior. For instance, with therespect toecological textiles, we pay attention to the compliance of raw and auxiliary materials with standards, the dyeing and finishing process, dye selection, finished product inspection, information feedback, and exerting influence on related parties. Theis system guarantees the "double compliance with the standard" of products.