Using Sustainability Labels to Drive Performance

这似乎是一个新的可持续发展的认证或标准每必威体育2018周公布。由于这些增长，相应的标志和标语一起，所以也有关于其有效性和意为利益相关者的问题。

AsGreenBiz.com has reported，目前的研究告诉我们，作为标签增殖消费者混淆正在增加，个人标签逐渐失去价值。金隅股份评估消费者的认可和购买影响力的标签组成的数组。回收标志，能源之星和美国农业部有机认证印章排行榜中居于首位，与消费者共鸣的急剧下降给别人就行了。

It's certainly important to understand how efforts to communicate sustainability practices resonate with stakeholders and support business goals (SeeGreenBiz's recent webinaron this.) Yet, there's another critical question to explore: How might labels, certifications and standards play in driving higher-level sustainability practices? We know we've got a long way to go toward sustainability, and some imminent issues to rectify. Why not seek, and promote, standards and certifications that drive significant improvements that really push the envelope and achieve what's needed to sustain society, the economy and the planet?

How might a business determine what standards to shoot for? Aligning with sustainability priorities is a good start, so long as those address an enterprise's biggest impacts, needs and opportunities. This will maximize positive impact where it's most needed, for the business, stakeholders and the environment. With a well-developed strategy, these will align with consumer concerns, advancing both sustainability and marketing goals.

作为一个例子，家居清洁产品制造商可能会集中在认证和周围无毒性和生物降解性的标准，而纸制品公司将是明智的磨练消费后回收的内容和无毒的处理。这并不是说，低冲击的地方不必担心，只需相应的优先级。家居清洁产品的公司，标签和促进在没有涉及到无毒成分任何认证的可回收的包装很可能看起来像他们漂绿。

When specific areas are identified, a good next step is to identify applicable standards and certifications and choose those with the greatest real impacts (inside and outside the business), and that lie above current performance and the status quo are. Companies can do side-by-side comparisons for various standards and talk to peers. As a simple example, a 100 percent recycled content label effectively addresses both environmentally preferable sourcing and end-user recyclability, adding value over a recyclable label alone.

More comprehensive, third-party verified certifications will also confer wider benefits than their simpler, looser counterparts. As an example, USDA Organic goes beyond "all natural" to prohibit synthetic agricultural chemicals and ingredients, yielding greater benefits around emissions reduction, clean air, water and soil, and farmworker health. It's also governed by the USDA, while natural remains largely unregulated -- providing consumers with the credibility they want, need and deserve.

Shooting for standards above current performance needn't mean that a label can't be used immediately, which would defer the communications opportunities that companies and stakeholders value. It may just mean that only some products, brands, product lines, facilities or other subset of a business would qualify. From here, a company can map out a plan to scale up and meet the criteria for a given label across the board.

This approach is not uncommon with companies using theFair Trade CertifiedorRainforest Alliancelabels. Many sign on with a limited number of Fair Trade items or a lower percentage of Rainforest Alliance ingredients and build up.

{related_content}Communicating the scale-up strategy is as important as explaining a label's meaning and what current practices it represents. Doing so will help address gaps in consumers' understanding of labels, and will ensure stakeholders understand the extent of a company's commitment past current certification levels.

As a final consideration, one must also ensure a given label is founded in good governance policies such as third-party verification, transparency, non-conflict of interest and broad stakeholder involvement in development. TheConsumers Union's eco-labeling sitereviews several hundred labels along these lines.

查看认证和标准为契机，建立和实现弹性目标是必不可少的创建解决我们用适当的范围和规模的社会，环境和经济方面的挑战更可持续的商业模式。它提供了一个透明的方式留在长期的责任，以及为增加约漂绿担忧的时代，诚信沟通的坚实基础。它还表示，以助滤我们的标准和认证，代表多一点照常营业，帮助恢复和建立消费者的信心在这一关键领域。通过这样做与真正的完整权利的理由是正确的，可持续性的标签拼图的其余部分将水到渠成。必威体育2018

Melissa Schweisguth is director of membership development and education for theFood Trade Sustainability Leadership Associationand anindependent consultant在CSR /可必威体育2018持续性和marketing/communications. She also sits on the advisory board forBig Tree Climate Fundand maintains a blog, "Full Circle Impact."

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