Ministère de l'Écologie, du Développement durable,des Transports et du Logement

www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr

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IEFE

L’impronta ambientale dei prodotti

Milan, 8 October 2012

Sylvain Chevassus

French Ministry of Ecology, SustainableDevelopment, and Energy

French policy on productenvironmental footprintdisplay

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The French system for productenvironmental information display : 5 pillars

1. Legislative basis: 2 laws “Grenelle”

2. Supporting the private initiatives since 2008

3. ADEME AFNOR technical and multi-stakeholders platform « expertise and standardisation »

4. National experiment: July 2011-12

5. Sharing methodological developments at the European level

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1.1 Legislative basis: 2 articles in the Grenelle laws

Law « Grenelle 1 » - art. 54 : “Consumers must have access to sincere, objective and comprehensive environmental information on the overall characteristics of the product / packaging pair […] France will support the recognition of these same requirements on the European Union level. […] The methodology associated with the evaluation of these impacts will be discussed in consultation with the relevant stakeholders.”

Law « Grenelle 2 » - art.228 : ““From 1 July 2011, and after consultation with all stakeholders of the relevant sectors, an experiment will be conducted for a minimum period of one year. The objective of this experiment is to inform the consumer, gradually and by any suitable method, of the carbon footprint ofproducts and their packaging, and the consumption of natural resources or impact on natural environments that are attributable to these products throughout their life cycle.”

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1.2 Legislative basis: in a nutshell

Grenelle 1, art. 54: a consumer right

Grenelle 2, art.228: a one year experimentation phase …… starting 1 July 2011…… LCA approach…multicriteria (carbon footprint + at least 1 other) then, after its assessment…potential general implementation to display environmental characteristics of products, …at the consumer level

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2. Supporting the existing private initiatives since 2008

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General platformwith industry and stakeholders

Methodologicalworking group

Sector working groups(product categories)

Communication format working

group

Database governancecommittee

General platformwith industry and stakeholders

Methodologicalworking group

Sector working groups(product categories)

Communication format working

group

Database governancecommittee

3.1 ADEME AFNOR multi-stakeholders technical platform

670 organisations

>1000 experts

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General guidelines to develop methodological documents (product or sector category rules)General methodology for the quantification of environmental impacts of consumer productsLife Cycle approach : ISO 14040-44 consistentProduct and packagingMulticriteria approach: a mandatory carbon footprint indicator + other indicatorsA public and generic database

All documents available in English: http://www.boutique.afnor.org

3.2 Repository of « good practices » BP X 30-323

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3.3 Sector working groups

1. Food and pet food2. Electric and electronic equipment3. Cleaning products, products for garden4. Body care5. Clothes, textile, shoes, bags6. Construction products7. Furniture8. Paper and stationery9. Tableware, crockery, cooking products10. Sport equipment, outdoor, toys11. Non electric equipment, ironmongery

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Finalised & validated PCRFood, beverage, pet foodShoesBackpackShampooToilet paperTVRacket(foot, volley) Sport balls(tennis) Sport ballsBeddingDisposable nappiesWooden furnituresSofaPrinter paper

In progressDetergentsClothesStationeryToys…

3.4 Work on Product Category Rules (PCR)

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4.1 National experiment : « Grenelle II »implementing law (2010), article 228

Requirements :• quantification + communication to the end consumer• compliance with BPX 30-323 and LCA approach, and with

PCR (if already adopted)• carbon footprint with absolute figures• multicriteria (at least one more envir. criterion)• To be tested: technical feasibility, communication, costs,

methods, data access, etc.Flexibility was given to the companies:• Communication formats and media• Choice of additional environmental indicators• starting date (between 1 July until 1 December 2011)

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4.2 Experiment: a wide range of sector and products

• Food……………………………………..

• Beverage………………………………..

• Body care……………………………….

• Clothing, shoes, home textiles………..

• Stationery, publication, edition………..

• Electric & electronic equipt, furniture…

• Building materials……………………….

• Supermarkets distribution………………

• Others…………………………………….

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4.3 Experiment: a wide range of companytypes

230 applicants from all sectors168 selected; projects started 1 July 2011

size: 30% have less than 50 employees25% have more than 500 employees

70 from the food sectorForeign companies:

Agricom (Chile), Bogota Chamber of Commerce (Colombia), H&M (Sweden)

French branches of multinationals: Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Pepsico, Colgate-Palmolive, Heineken,

Levi Strauss, Procter and Gamble, Unilever, J&J, Henkel etc…

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4.5 Experiment: a wide range of operations

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Experiment: examples

Nescafé et Nespresso

3 environnemental indicators :� climate� depletion of non-renewable naturalresources� water

3. communication� mobile phone : Application proxiproduit� magazine (« Croquons la vie »)� internet : www.nestle.fr – www.nescafe.fr –www.nespresso.com/ecolaboration- www.croquonslavie.fr

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On the back of the pack :• definitions,• weblink www.indice-environnemental.fr) for more informations• code 2D : access to the information details

Environmental Indice is located front of the pack: a simple and immediateinformation for the consumer.

Environmental Index developed by Casino, Bio Intelligence Service and partners

(Alter Eco, Fruité SAS, Glon Sanders Holding, MerAlliance, Monoprix, Saint Amand, Saint Michel)

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fioul

Picard

In shops

On internet

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+ 20 % de CO2

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One year national experiment

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One year national experiment

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4.6 Experiment: the evaluation items

• Technical feasability and data issues• Communication and information medium• Relations along the supply chain• Costs (in experimental conditions)• Other business effects (internal mobilization)• Consumer reaction and understanding

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4.7 Experiment: the evaluation means

• Self-assessment by the companies

• Official questionnaire to all companies

• Assessment by consumers organisations

• Control tests by the French market surveillance authorities (DGCCRF)

• General assessment and synthesis by the ministry

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4.8 Experiment: first general lessons• Success of the call (230 applicants)

• Business mobilisation and involvment ; boosting of expertise and capacity building

• Business internal cooperation (eg between communication and environment services)

• Business creativity. Project wealth and diversity (labels, indicators, communication)

• Sector (eg methodological exchanges) and supply-chaincooperations (eg retailer-producer, producer-supplier)

• International interest (institutional and private)

• Technical issues (eg feedback on footprinting and data)

• Advantages of being pioneers

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5.1 Sharing methodological developments at the international and European levels

Several initiatives around the world:

ISO standards (14040-44, 14067, 14046, etc.)

public and public-private initiatives (UK, Japan, South Korea, Thaïland, Sweden, New Zealand, Taiwan, Canada, EU, Switzerland, Italy, France,..)

sector initiatives (Food SCP Round-Table, Sustainability Consortium, textiles

Product Category Rules (PCR) and Sector Category Rules developments

UNEP, UN ECLAC (Santiago de Chile, Chili), UN ESCAP (Seoul, South Korea)

Harmonisation is needed:

WTO and EU trade rules are taken into account in the policy development and any measure will be duly notified to EU and WTO

France active in European and international harmonisation and standardisationworks (ISO, EU, international dialogues etc.)

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Specific measures already adoptedCO2 information on transport services: obligatory from 2013

VOC label on construction and decoration products: obligatory for new products in 2012, all products from Sept. 2013

preparation of a measure establishing an official framework for EPDs on construction and decorationproducts

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Please visithttp://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/experimentation-affichage

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Thank you for your attention

Contacts:

Sylvain Chevassus

tel: +33 1 40 81 83 65

sylvain.chevassus@developpement-durable.gouv.fr

Web page in English :http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/Product-

Environmental-Footprint.html