What is ISO 14024? Type I Environmental Labelling Explained

ISO 14024 sits within the ISO 14020 family of environmental labelling standards. Where ISO 14020 establishes the overarching principles, ISO 14024 defines how Type I environmental labelling programmes actually work. These are the ecolabels you see on products: EU Ecolabel, Blue Angel, Nordic Swan, and similar certification marks.

Type I labels represent a pass/fail judgment. Products either meet the environmental criteria or they don’t. This differs fundamentally from Type III declarations (EPDs) which present quantified environmental data without making preferability claims.

How Type I Environmental Labelling Works#

Type I programmes are run by independent third parties. These ecolabelling bodies establish environmental criteria for specific product categories, verify that products meet those criteria, then license manufacturers to display the ecolabel.

The process operates through defined stages. First, the ecolabelling body selects product categories where environmental improvement is both needed and achievable. Paint, cleaning products, textiles, paper products are typical categories. The choice depends on market size, environmental significance, and whether meaningful criteria can be established.

Second, the body develops environmental criteria for each category. These criteria must cover the product’s entire life cycle, not just one stage. A criterion for paper might address forest management, manufacturing emissions, and chemical content. The standard requires life cycle thinking without necessarily demanding full LCA studies.

Third, manufacturers apply for the label by demonstrating compliance. The ecolabelling body verifies their claims through documentation review, audits, and testing where appropriate.

Why Third-Party Verification Matters#

ISO 14024 requires independent third-party verification. This distinguishes Type I labels from Type II self-declared environmental claims, which companies make without independent verification.

The verification requirement creates credibility. When a manufacturer claims their product is ‘eco-friendly’, consumers have no way to assess that claim. When an independent body certifies a product meets specific environmental criteria, the claim becomes verifiable.

This verification gap matters commercially. Type I labels carry weight with procurement managers and environmentally conscious consumers because an independent party has checked the claims. Self-declared claims don’t carry that weight, regardless of their actual accuracy.

Stakeholder Consultation: A Core Requirement#

ISO 14024 mandates formal consultation with interested parties throughout the process. This means involving industry representatives, environmental groups, consumer organizations, and technical experts when selecting product categories and developing criteria.

The consultation process must be open and transparent. Draft criteria must be published for comment. Adequate time must be given for stakeholders to review and respond. The ecolabelling body must consider and respond to comments received.

This consultation requirement serves two purposes. First, it ensures criteria are technically sound and practically achievable. Industry knows what’s feasible in manufacturing. Environmental groups know what environmental impacts matter most. Technical experts know what testing methods work.

Second, consultation builds acceptance. When multiple stakeholders have participated in criteria development, those criteria gain legitimacy. A label developed behind closed doors lacks the credibility of one developed through open consultation.

Developing Environmental Criteria#

The criteria development process in ISO 14024 follows a structured approach. The ecolabelling body begins by conducting a feasibility study to assess whether a product category is suitable for labelling. This study examines market structure, environmental impacts, potential for improvement, and existing legislation.

Product environmental criteria must be based on significant environmental impacts across the life cycle. The standard provides a matrix that maps life cycle stages against environmental indicators: energy use, resource consumption, emissions to air, water, and soil.

Criteria should be expressed either as impacts on the environment or as measurable product properties that correlate with environmental performance. A criterion might limit volatile organic compound emissions from paint, or require minimum recycled content in paper products.

The criteria must be scientifically sound and verifiable through recognized testing methods. ISO 14024 specifies a preference hierarchy: ISO and IEC standards first, then national and regional standards, then accredited laboratory methods.

Importantly, criteria must enable measurable environmental improvement while remaining achievable for suppliers. Set criteria too loose and the label means nothing. Set them too tight and no products qualify, making the label irrelevant. The balance point sits where leading products meet the criteria but average products don’t.

Review Periods and Continuous Improvement#

ISO 14024 requires regular review of criteria. Technical developments change what’s environmentally preferable. Manufacturing processes improve. New materials become available. Environmental priorities shift.

The standard doesn’t specify exact review periods but indicates they should reflect the product category’s characteristics. Electronics might need more frequent review than furniture due to faster technological change.

When criteria are revised, ISO 14024 requires consideration of transition periods. Manufacturers need time to reformulate products or change processes. Licensees need time to sell existing inventory. Revision timing must balance environmental progress against commercial fairness.

The review process itself must follow the same consultation requirements as initial criteria development. Stakeholders must be involved. Comments must be considered. The process must be transparent.

The Verification Process#

Verification under ISO 14024 involves several elements. First, the ecolabelling body must establish clear compliance assessment procedures. These procedures define what documentation manufacturers must provide, what testing is required, and what audit processes apply.

Second, the body must ensure verifiers are competent. ISO 14024 specifies minimum requirements for verifier competence including knowledge of the product sector, relevant environmental aspects, and applicable standards.

Third, compliance must be monitored throughout the licence period. A product doesn’t simply gain the label once then keep it forever. The ecolabelling body must conduct periodic compliance checks to ensure products continue meeting criteria as manufacturing processes change.

Transparency Requirements#

ISO 14024 demands transparency at every stage. The principles used to select product categories must be publicly available. The criteria themselves must be published. The verification procedures must be clear. Information on how to obtain the label must be accessible.

This transparency extends to fees. Ecolabelling programmes typically charge application fees, annual licence fees, or both. These fee structures must be published and applied consistently.

The rationale behind this transparency is straightforward: stakeholders can only participate meaningfully if they have access to relevant information. Manufacturers can only apply if they know the criteria. Consumers can only trust the label if they understand what it represents.

Type I vs Type III: Different Tools for Different Purposes#

The distinction between Type I labels (ISO 14024) and Type III declarations (ISO 14025, EPDs) is fundamental. Type I programmes make environmental preferability judgments. They establish criteria representing ‘better’ environmental performance, then award labels to products meeting those criteria.

Type III declarations present quantified environmental data without judging whether that performance is good or bad. An EPD shows a product’s carbon footprint, resource consumption, and other environmental indicators but leaves interpretation to the user.

Both approaches serve important functions. Type I labels work well for consumer products where buyers want simple guidance. Type III declarations work better in business-to-business contexts where buyers need detailed data to make informed comparisons.

The verification requirements differ too. Type I labels require mandatory third-party verification by the ecolabelling body. EPDs require verification of the underlying LCA data but the verification is typically internal or external rather than necessarily third-party. For business-to-consumer EPDs, third-party verification becomes mandatory under ISO 14025.

Real-World Type I Programmes#

Several major Type I programmes operate globally. The EU Ecolabel covers products sold in European markets. Germany’s Blue Angel is one of the oldest environmental labels. The Nordic Swan operates across Scandinavia. Each programme follows ISO 14024 principles while adapting to regional markets and priorities.

These programmes cover dozens of product categories. Cleaning products, paints, textiles, paper, electronics, furniture, and building materials all have ecolabel criteria in major programmes. The specific criteria vary between programmes, reflecting different environmental priorities and market conditions.

Some programmes have achieved significant market penetration. In certain product categories, ecolabelled products represent substantial market share. This market success demonstrates that environmental criteria can be set stringently enough to drive improvement while remaining commercially viable.

Why ISO 14024 Matters for LCA Practitioners#

ISO 14024 connects to LCA practice in several ways. First, criteria development should be informed by life cycle thinking. The standard requires considering environmental impacts across the product life cycle, though it doesn’t mandate full LCA studies for every product category.

Second, Type I labels and EPDs serve complementary roles. A company might pursue an ecolabel for consumer-facing products while producing EPDs for business customers. Understanding both standards helps in choosing the right tool.

Third, ecolabel criteria often influence LCA system boundaries and impact categories. When conducting LCA for a product category with established ecolabel criteria, those criteria indicate which environmental aspects matter most to that sector.

Finally, the stakeholder consultation processes in ISO 14024 mirror good practice in LCA goal and scope definition. Both require engaging relevant parties to ensure technical soundness and practical relevance.

Implementation Challenges#

ISO 14024 implementation presents several challenges. Developing scientifically sound criteria that are also commercially achievable requires substantial technical expertise. The ecolabelling body needs deep knowledge of product categories, environmental science, testing methods, and market conditions.

Stakeholder consultation takes time and resources. Managing consultation processes, responding to comments, and achieving reasonable consensus demands skilled facilitation.

Verification creates ongoing costs. Ecolabelling bodies must maintain verifier competence, conduct audits, and monitor compliance. These costs must be recovered through fees while keeping the label accessible to smaller manufacturers.

International harmonization remains incomplete. Different ecolabel programmes have different criteria for the same product categories. This creates challenges for manufacturers selling globally and reduces the comparability that life cycle-based approaches should enable.

Where ISO 14024 Fits in Environmental Assessment#

ISO 14024 occupies a specific niche in environmental assessment. It works well for products where clear environmental preferences can be established through criteria, where independent verification adds value, and where pass/fail distinctions make sense.

It works less well where environmental trade-offs are complex and context-dependent. When product A performs better on carbon footprint but worse on water use, a simple ecolabel can’t capture that nuance. EPDs handle such situations better by presenting the data without prejudging the trade-offs.

Type I labels excel at creating market pull for environmental improvement. When retailers or procurement managers specify ecolabelled products, manufacturers have clear incentive to meet the criteria. This market mechanism can drive widespread adoption of better environmental practices.

From Decerna’s perspective, understanding ISO 14024 matters because ecolabels often inform our LCA work. When clients ask about ecolabel requirements, we need to understand both the standard’s technical requirements and how they relate to LCA methodology. When conducting LCA for product development, knowing what ecolabel criteria exist helps focus the study on commercially relevant environmental aspects.

The Verification Gap Across ISO 14020 Standards#

A crucial distinction across the ISO 14020 family involves verification requirements. Type I environmental labels (ISO 14024) require mandatory independent third-party verification. Type II self-declared environmental claims (ISO 14021) involve no required verification, though evaluation methods are specified. Type III environmental declarations (ISO 14025) require independent verification of the underlying data but that verification can be internal or external, becoming mandatory third-party only for business-to-consumer declarations.

This creates a credibility hierarchy. Type I labels carry most weight because they involve independent judgment of environmental preferability plus third-party verification. Type III declarations carry weight through verified quantified data but make no preferability claims. Type II claims carry least weight because manufacturers make and verify them themselves.

Understanding this hierarchy matters for businesses choosing between different types of environmental communication. It matters for procurement managers assessing environmental claims. And it matters for LCA practitioners advising clients on which tools serve their commercial and environmental objectives.

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Decerna provides life cycle assessment, environmental product declarations, and carbon footprinting services. We work with businesses to quantify environmental performance using internationally recognized standards including the ISO 14040 series and EN 15804. For technical questions about LCA methodology or environmental declarations, contact our team.