Filling the Gap_Ismail Khater

8/2/2019 Filling the Gap_Ismail Khater

1/33

Page0


2/33


3/33

Page1

Filling the Gap

Table of Contents

Introduction ........................................................................ 2

Market-based Instruments (MBIs) ....................................... 4

LCA overview ...................................................................... 7

Non-governmental organizations ...................................... 12

Eco-labeling ....................................................................... 15

Green building certification ............................................... 19

Estidama ........................................................................... 22

Concluding remarks ........................................................... 26

Bibliography ...................................................................... 28

Table of Figures

Fig. 1: Market-based instruments by type (S. Whitten, M. Bueren D. Collins 2003) ................ 5

Fig. 2: Managerial capabilities (Crabb, Leroy 2008) ................................................................. 6

Fig. 3: British attitudes towards green shopping (Marks & Spencer 2007) ............................... 9

Fig. 4: Phases of a Life Cycle Assessment (European Commission 2010) ................................ 10

Fig. 5: Various eco-labels logos (internet) ............................................................................... 18

Fig. 6: Green building certification logos (internet) ................................................................. 21

Fig. 7: Estidamas four pillars (Estidama.org)........................................................................... 22

Fig. 8: A linear relationship between Estidama, UPC and Plan 2030 (Estidama.org) .............. 25


4/33

Page2

Introduction

With the growing amount of information and general involvement in decision making, there

is a recognized need for environmental regulation change, by all stakeholders, ranging from

consumers to producers. Voluntary schemes of pollution prevention, as well as health and

social issues, have made transparency one of the most important aspects of the policies.

Transparency and raising awareness are key concepts of filling the information gap between

the stakeholders. In the book Limits to Growth the authors talked about the concept,

which is crystal clear to any thinking human being, that there is a limit to the physical

growth on this physically finite planet. While pessimists say that the results of the ecological

and economical overshoot will cause a collapse, there is still hope for oscillation.

There is a current realization of the nature of environmental problems as being interrelated.

We need certain ecological abilities to be able to survive these days. These must be a joint

intelligence, and that exist in a distributed fashion among a wide range of networks of

people, a lot of collaboration between scientists, industries and customers needs to happen,

in order to overcome and deal with the situation. We are faced with assured challenges that

are too complicated, too diverse and too delicate to be understood and overcome by a

single person. We need to learn what dangers we face, what their causes are, and to see the

new opportunities these solutions offer. We need the collective willpower to do all this as a

group, and integrating ecological considerations, with effective communication, will

improve and accelerate the realization of the time sensitive goals.

There is no doubt on the role of governments to regulate and direct the market towards

the right path. There is a need to continuously upgrade their policies, on a faster pace.

Codes need to be more stringent, ecological violations need to be dealt with harsher. The

world governments like for example the Kyoto protocol or the World Bank and other major

stakeholders need to have a more substantial role and power in implementing their views

and policies. In the past supporter groups concerned with everything from saving the

rainforest to hunting down sweatshops would approach governments to pass regulations to

promote their plans. Recently many have changed their strategies, trying to persuade

consumers to boycott products that contribute to harming the environment. This strategys

core is creating joint consumer action to shift markets to the kinds of products aligned with


5/33

Page3

what they endorse. Such a market strategy can be far more effective and work much faster

than regulation.

The commencement of market-based instruments, as tools to avoid pollution, is in some

cases encouraged as it brings flexibility in the regulations, raising the efficiency, without

altering the goals. Their benefits exceed economic and environmental aspects, as they also

help creating the paradigm shift in information transparency and public consciousness. In

the following paper, I provide an impression of recent adjustments in ecological directives

that demonstrate the significance of information and stakeholder involvement in

environmental policy, as well as providing some overviews about certain tools, which help

understand, build awareness and deal with the issues. I start by demonstrating the concepts

of market-based instruments. From that I will take a look over life cycle assessments and

also non-governmental organizations, as they are key topics to understanding the

subsequent sections, which will be taking one of the market friction MBIs, specifically

ecolabelling, into more depth. Finally, I will zoom more in on the specific type of ecolabelling

concerned with the built environment, green building certificates, taking after that an active

example from the United Arab Emirates, Estidama, their local certification process.


6/33

Page4

Market-based Instruments (MBIs)

Market-based instruments are systems that promote actions against the environmental

issues through market indicators rather than through precise government environmental

policy, such as command and control and usually use price or economic incentives. One of

the goals of using MBIs is to achieve the goals through the focus on the needs or desires of

the corporation and businesses themselves. This is done by letting them choose their own

unique ways and technologies, and they would have the choice to even go further than the

given limits, as it becomes a rewarded incentive, [1]in comparison to command and control,

which works on the basis of process defined in-and-output as well as discharge quantity

limits, and therefore could get in the way of innovative technology advancement and

reduce the competition. [2]

Another reason of why the market based instruments is being conducted is, in some

instances, its cost effectiveness. They could achieve the same reduction demanded by a

command and control system at a lower cost. To demonstrate, imagine two polluters, one

and two, which emit the same amount of, for instance, CO2. If the cost of reduction for one

is twice as much as for two, and the amount of reduction asked for is to half the quantity,

the total charge of reduction would be more than, hypothetically speaking, if emitter two

would reduce its whole emissions. Market based instruments could allow that by providing

either carbon trading or taxing. In this example there is one major downside, which is that

the mechanism did not take the location matter into consideration. Even when the overall

cutback is achieved, focusing the pollution to one location could cause more environmental

problems than when it is spread all over. Technically speaking, even if this does not apply for

CO2 emissions, it is relevant to other forms of contaminations like SO2, which causes acid

rain. This would have been solved using the command and control instrument, whereas it

would be conveyed to the location and have a specific restricted capacity implemented. In

that case it would be a good idea to use both systems and restrict the use of this type of

MBI to non-location related pollutants.


7/33

Page5

Types of market based instruments

Even with the arguments regarding the use of market instruments to date, an impressive

range of MBIs has been employed all over the world. In the figure below, types of market

based instruments are shown, divided into their three categories, price, rights-based and

market friction.

Price-based Rights-based Market friction

Emission charges

User charges

Product charges

Performance bonds

Non-compliance feesSubsidies (materials and

financial)

Removal of perverse

subsidies/taxes

Deposit-refund systems

Tradable permits, rights or

quotas

Offset schemes

Reducing market barriers

Extension / education

programs

Research programs designed

to facilitate market exchangesLabelling

Information disclosure

Fig. 1: Market-based instruments by type (S. Whitten, M. Bueren D. Collins 2003)

In short, a description is given to each type as following: Price-based MBIs influence

behavior by changing or produce prices for environmental commodities and services to

reflect their impact; they can work as positive or negative incentives. Right-based MBIs

influence behavior by changing or indicating rights and obligations of using natural

resources. They can be designed to control the quantity of the commodity and they are

usually tradable. Market friction MBIs influence behavior by improving existing markets to

achieve better and transparent environmental results. They increase the information flow

between all parties, which leads to cost reductions. [1] [3]

The use of market based instruments has been increasing gradually in environmental

policies. However, their competence is still not fully identified and debatable. There is a

difference of opinion on whether or not the same economic agents who created the current

economical framework would have the same interests, and therefore have designed the

MBIs (like cap and trade) this way. [4] Then again, everyone is impressively agreeing on the

need for change and to battle climate change. There are many who doubt the efficiency of

tradable permits and taxes over command and control, and also the attractiveness of taking

full advantage of the finances for governments, as they use a lot of human resources. [5]


8/33

Page6

Command and control measures appear to be safer, as they have been in use for a long time

and are widely accepted. They also offer more time for adjustments, nevertheless this does

slow down the process to reach higher values and also slows down innovations. [6]

There is one very clear thing about market based instruments, which is that their impacts

are not clear. In order to successfully use them, the awareness and knowledge of them

needs to be risen. This awareness needs to happen on three sides. The responsible

environmental agency side, to monitor and control, the polluters side, to implement them,

the public, to formulate their opinion, behavior and respond to them. Furthermore, good

governance would be needed to adequately define for example property rights and set up

the authority that will put a clear system into practice. In addition, the newly created

markets need to be competitive, in order to have the polluters respond successfully to the

incentives and make a change. Finally, the governments who will implement these

instruments need to have the financial and administrative capacity to start, check and

enforce these systems. In many countries there would be a need for technical, as well as

financial help to be able to introduce these mechanisms. In order to avoid mishap, these

systems need to proceed in stages with an allocation for a learning phase. [6]

To conclude, market based instruments are to be incorporated and support, rather than

replacing current policies and programs. It is also important to regularly evaluate and

develop these new systems. The assistance of communities and non-governmental

organizations should be highly recommended and welcomed, to form public opinion and

awareness. This can only be achieved with radical transparency in all stages, from policy

creation to realization.

Fig. 2: Managerial capabilities (Crabb, Leroy 2008)


9/33

Page7

LCA overview

A life cycle assessment (LCA) is a technique to assess all impacts related with all the phases

of a process from-cradle-to-grave. It starts from raw materials through materials processing,

manufacture, distribution, use, repair and maintenance, and disposal or recycling. [7] LCAs

can help avoid a narrow point of view on environmental, social and economic concerns,

through compiling a list of relevant energy and material inputs and environmental releases,

evaluating the potential impacts associated with identified inputs and releases and

interpreting the results to help you make a more informed decision. [8] There are many

variants of LCAs. The most commonly known one is from cradle to grave, which is a full

assessment of a product from start of manufacturing to the disposal phase. This type could

include a cradle to gate, which means from start of manufacturing to the factory gate. This

type could be for instance a windshield wiper blade, which will be added to the cradle to

grave assessment of the whole car. Within the production of the same blade, a gate to gate

partial LCA could be looked into. This means that for example the rubber part would be

evaluated separately, which would result an assessment of only the added value of it. There

is also the cradle to cradle LCA, which is kind of a cradle to grave assessment, but the end of

life disposal step of the product is a recycling process.

There are significant benefits of having LCA done by manufacturers. They would be able to

tackle the weak points in the cradle to grave process by pointing them out from the LCA

analysis. One good example is what Procter & Gambles (P&G) global sustainability

department did a couple of years ago. They aimed to integrate sustainability into their

strategy, and found out through the LCA of laundry detergents, that by far, the biggest

contributor to the products entire energy footprint was the consumer himself. This is due

to the need of using heated water to do the laundry. As a result, the companys R&D unit

developed Tide Cold Water (known in Germany as Ariel Kalt-Aktiv), a laundry detergent

that cleans clothes without consumers having to heat the water in the washing machine.

This would result savings of 34 million tons of CO2 emissions annually if every U.S.

household used the product, according to Len Sauers, VP for Global Sustainability at P&G.

[9] This innovative technology also comes with no trade-offs, as Sauers puts it, as the money

saved from not having to heat the water pays for the price difference of a box of detergent.


10/33

Page8

Other examples can be seen in packaging sizes and products compaction, the list is never

ending. Each and every detailed step of an LCA is an opportunity to explore whether some

industrial upgrade, a different chemical or a novel process might improve the products

overall footprint.

LCAs are one of the pioneering tools to create transparency in the ecological revolution,

getting hands on the analysis makes us able to compare and judge products. But how would

the regular citizen do that? What does it require to be able to comprehend such an analysis?

The answer is: a lot of knowledge and education. I honestly think that the majority of the

population would not even bother reading through the never ending steps and cycles of a

LCA. Dara ORourke, an industrial ecologist, saw that problem and had a visionary project to

bring transparency to the marketplace in the form of a software innovation called

GoodGuide. GoodGuide provides the worlds largest and one of the most reliable source of

information on the health, environmental, and social impacts of consumer products. [10]

GoodGuide integrates hundreds of complex databases that evaluate everything from

companies policies on animal testing to the carbon emissions in its supply chain to the

specific chemicals concern in its products. It does that by drawing a huge amount of data on

products and companies. By telling the story of a product in a convenient user friendly way,GoodGuide provides the information that customers need. If a customer wants to explore

and go into more details of a product, and see how they came up with the summary rating,

lets say the specific environmental impacts of a product during manufacturing, transport,

use or disposal, it is possible, by simply opening the drop down menu of a category.


11/33

Page9

A survey of 25,000 customers by Marks & Spencer found that about a quarter of shoppers

are simply not interested in whether an item is or isnt green. Ten percent, on the other

hand, will go out of their way to get a more ethical item. The most telling group in that

survey was the large majority of shoppers who lie somewhere between the two extremes.

Roughly two-thirds of shoppers care about ethical choices but want the decision to be easy,

or are vaguely concerned about ethics but feel their shopping preferences wont matter.[11] Radical transparency targets that two-thirds by making ethical choices easier, offering a

shopper relevant data in a neat summary as he or she holds the item in their hand. This has

been possible through new technologies such as the apps downloadable on Smartphones,

such as the one by GoodGuide. One could get the info downloaded by simply taking a

snapshot of the barcode of a product, that easy it is. While older shoppers may not have or

want to use this technology, or are simply too set in their habits, younger generations are

far more motivated to embrace it. A New York teen online survey, that polled a random and

representative sample of 767 U.S. teens (13 to 19 years old, the mean age was 14.6), there

are some of the most remarkable findings. [12] The survey shows us that teen awareness of

environmental issues is on the rise. Seventy-four percent of teens, nationally, believe its

their responsibility to help save the environment. Teens see themselves as part of the

problem and as part of the solution83% agrees that if someone showed them how they

could help the environment, they would do it if it was easy. Teens want to be

environmentally conscious consumers: 69% nationwide say they would buy products or

Fig. 3: British attitudes towards green shopping (Marks &

Spencer 2007)


12/33

Page10

services that help the environment if they were more widely available; an even greater 85%

of New York teens concur.

Another upcoming technology and tool is Earthster. Earthster is the first free open source

web based platform designed to provide the most current data and sophisticated

assessment tools to measure and manage a products social and environmental impacts

throughout the supply chain. [13] Their aim is to accelerate supply chain innovations that

improve social and environmental impacts, with far reaching benefits for companies,

consumers, and the planet. Its concept is based on collaboration, as an example, a company

publishes its information on its product, lets say glass, then another company that produces

windows and use this glass can take this information and plug it into their analysis. Once a

part of a process is upgraded, there would be no need to re-do the whole analysis, every

manufacturer would update their part that will show up automatically in other products

that use the network. While these technologies are creating the means to be able to

evaluate and choose, it is up to the purchasing power to give their preferences, driving all

industries into sustainability.

Fig. 4: Phases of a Life Cycle Assessment (European Commission 2010)


13/33

Page11

While Earthster is not meant to be for regulations, binding laws or a mandatory

requirement, it is definitely a good tool to create policies with. Once the database of

Earthster grows, it would benefit a lot of production lines, making it easy to compare

suppliers environmental impacts and choose which ones are performing more efficient. It

would also provide means of calculation to those small businesses or inexperienced ones,

who had just joined the establishment of LCAs, since the concept of Earthster is based on an

open source system. Whenever new technologies or ways of production are published,

which are based on lower ecological impact, the rest competing companies or businesses

would run to meet the new standards to stay on track. Other beneficial effects of having this

tool are for policy and regulatory makers to be able to set new standards faster and update

them regularly according to the available values. This would also keep corporations from

lacking behind and being another incentive, next to the open markets, to keep their

research and development departments looking for improving their products and

production lines constantly. With Earthster, users can identify and point out the problems

easily, making it easier to understand where they need to improve. When life cycle

assessments are distributed to the public in a transparent way, it will eliminate

greenwashing. This is another advantage of life cycle assessments, as it avoids transferring

the environmental problems from one place to another. I believe that my proposal of

adding the obligation of carrying out life cycles assessments as a tool alongside the market

based instruments and making governments supporting the conduction and advancement in

life cycle assessments and using it as a tool of measure, would benefit the whole economy,

environment and the society.


14/33

Page12

Non-governmental organizations

Non-governmental organizations are legally formed groups, usually private, that operate

separately from any government. The phrase, NGO, is usually used to define the

organizations that pursue social and environmental aims. [14] There are non-governmental

organizations that are focused on the planets ecological conservation, working around the

world to protect ecologically important weak points, such as lands, air and waters for nature

and the people. This is the type of NGOs I will be focusing on. Apart from the social means,

their environmental aims range from fighting global warming or climate change, ecological

conservation, land degradation and nuclear issues, water pollution, resource depletion, to

getting new regulations through to the governments and helping corporations to achieve a

higher level of sustainable businesses and products that reflect the global public and

ecological needs. Non-governmental organizations are in most cases Non-profit or voluntary

organization. They are funded by international associations, private donations,

governments, or a combination of these. Non-governmental organizations can use

economic in-and-disincentives to change peoples behavior and shape the market and by

using market based instruments. On the other extreme, they can promote and put pressure

on companies and governments to make sure that the MBI tools and standards arechallenging to firms and will not become corrupted. Basically NGOs could become the 3

rd

party regulatory body, which in the perfect scenario would be genuine if they have no

conflict of interest.

Even when governments seek to address all environmental issues and the public needs, and

do immense investments, they are not fit to achieve this duty. In addition the corporate

sector is also not able to accomplish the missing links of the task. Non-governmental

organizations have been developed and became present to bridge the gap between what

governments and corporations are able to do and what society requires or expects. [15]

Some time ago, non-governmental organizations used to embattle governments and the

regulations and the government officials. Nowadays this trend has shifted quite towards the

consumers and corporations. This became after realizing the power of those two parties, as

they are the decision makers on the subject of production and consumption.


15/33

Page13

One of the good examples of non-governmental organizations that work towards motivating

producers to change, as well as educating consumers about their impact, can be seen in the

Electronics TakeBack Coalition. ETBC encourage green design and recycling in the electronics

industry. [16] Their goal is to save the consumers and the environment from the harms of

electronics, from the beginning phase of its production, to the end of its life cycle, by asking

and encouraging the manufacturers to take the responsibility of their products after it has

been used and recycle it. They have a desire for achieving an enforceable agreement or a

policy to do so. Some leading manufacturers and designers are already taking actions by

providing recycling and take back programs. Apple, for instance is taking all its electronic

waste back, and also providing incentives like trading old for new, discount coupons or the

least by offering free shipping. [17] However, not all manufacturers are on the same level as

apple, so ETBC is providing information to the public on specific tested electronics on how

they are scored compared to each other on their take back and recycling programs. The list

is growing by the day and already includes most leading electronic companies. Other

education data is also provided, regarding the dangers of toxic materials and the harms of

global dumping and prison recycling.

ETBC is not only taking passive actions of exposing the companies of their design for thedump strategies, or their externalizing cost schemes [18], they are actively involved by

providing solutions as well. Their website explains what steps need to be taken in order to

minimize the environmental footprint of our e-waste. It is clarified how to recycle right, buy

green electronics, hold manufacturers accountable and how to promote good laws. By doing

so, people would get the education and may act accordingly. As a result, companies would

have to compete to invest and create more environmentally sound products, which would

live longer and be easier to recycle, in order to preserve and develop their brands

reputation. [16]

While consumers behavior does not show in great measures that they would go out of their

way, and do the effort, to find the good products, they tend to avoid the bad ones.

Negative information shown by the NGOs about some business practices, work as an anti-

advertising campaign, which could demolish a brands reputation. [19] Companies are

therefore motivated to act on the demands to protect their reputation. In order for NGOs to


16/33

Page14

strengthen the impact of their campaign, they would also target other vulnerable links

between the producer and the consumer. By targeting institutional buyers or reputation-

sensitive retailers, the NGOs could get them to be on their side in pressuring the

manufacturers to design and supply the good products. So the way NGOs work is both, to

the inside and outside. The outer strategies are putting pressure on the companies and

governments through campaigning, letters of protest, rallying, direct actions and boycotts.

Inside strategies are negotiating solutions and working closely with the governments and

manufacturers. [20] Above that, NGOs are supporting or creating mechanisms to monitor

the fulfillment of the standards they are promoting. By creating a third party certification

system they can avoid self certified greenwashing. These certificates, labels or standards

would give the consumers clear and easy to understand data on the products, which they

can trust for the reason that they have no financial incentives. By doing so, NGOs are

building their own brands and seals of approval.

The effectiveness of this type of NGOs has not been proven, but from my own experience,

people tend to buy green labeled goods rather than un-labeled ones (given that there is no

price difference). This does not necessarily be a good thing, as with the never ending

creation of eco-labels people could get very confused and lose track of what they actuallymean. The strategy of connecting the consumer with the producer is also limited to the

publically understood criteria. When it comes to more complicated industrial issues the

same strategy could fail, just for the fact that people would not be interested. Therefore,

there is no doubt that government regulations need to continue improving and supporting

the dispose of ecological issues, and that the regulatory body should not be privatized. [19]

However, even with these margins, there is no doubt that the role of non-governmental

organizations is of importance, and they seek new strategies and ways of communication,

filling the gap between producer and customers.


17/33

Page15

Eco-labeling

An eco-label is a printed label that identifies products or services to be in a way either better

produced in terms of their environmental and social impact and/or healthier for the

consumer. The products would have to meet detailed environmental standards set by the

eco-label program. Some of these labels are voluntary while others are required to have by

law in some countries (mostly in the EU and US). [21] The main aim of the eco-label is to

inform and help the buyer, whether individual, retailer or government purchaser, take

environmental concerns into account while shopping. There is a wide range of currently eco-

label covered products or services. This includes food, personal hygiene and cleaning

products, electronics, construction materials, wood and paper and many more. They

measure a wide variety of aspects, ranging from energy consumption and environmental

footprint to social responsibility. When compared to green statements made by the

manufacturers, eco-labels are usually awarded by a third party association. As an

illustration, when a customer buys an energy star labeled product, which is focused on

energy consumption during the appliances operating life, he or she knows that this product

meets the energy efficient standards set by the United States environmental protection

agency.

Eco-labels could be developed by governments, such as the EU eco-label, or

nongovernmental not for profit, such as the Forest Stewardship Council. There are different

types of eco-labels, defined and divided into three categories by the International

Organization for Standardization (a non-governmental worldwide federation of national

standards). Type one is a third party certified environmental label. It is based on several

measures, but usually not by carrying out a life cycle assessment. Type one eco-labels are

awarded based on a set of criteria defined by an independent organization that have to

meet some technical quantitative and qualitative requirements, which convene their

ecological preferences. Type two is an informative environmental self-declaration claim.

They are made by their producers and are not verified by a third party. Because of the

reason that this type of declaration might be considered as greenwashing, it is specifically

this type that governments frequently regulate under the consumer protection legislation.

Greenwashing can occur when the claim is made on a specific life cycle phase and ignores or


18/33

Page16

worsens another aspect that creates a bigger impact on the environment. The third type is

the quantified product information label, based on the life cycle impacts of the product (ISO

14040) or the environmental product declarations. So in other words, it is similar to type

one, except that it has to be based on the procedures and results from a life cycle analysis in

compliance with ISO 14040 standards. Another type of Eco-label, not yet certified by the

International Organization for Standardization, is the single issue label. This is known by

most shoppers. As an example, energy star, fair-trade and forest stewardship council are

considered as single issue labels. [22]

Eco-labels are market based instruments. As mentioned before, they seek to change the

buyers or consumers behaviors to take other qualities into account, other than price.

Therefore, there is an economic incentive for producers to seek certification of their goods.

With the eco-labels, consumers can influence the system through purchasing power and get

educated on sustainable practices. Eco-labels can improve the ecosystems and decrease the

reduction in biodiversity. Consumers would be able to benefit from the continued

availability of their preferred products, and with the information shared; they would work

towards a more sustainable world. [23]

While eco-labels are increasing in the market with the increasing demand of consumers to

more information and knowledge, there are concerns rising up. Labels are seen to need

more legitimacy and transparency. An example for that would be the so observed

greenwashing statements, like when a poultry product has the label free range on it. The

official term is defined as Producers must demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has

been allowed access to the outside [24]. This is such a vague statement, as it could be

sufficient to let a door open for about five minutes a day for the hens to go outdoors, even if

in that limited time only a small percentage will notice and be able to actually leave the

shed. While this could be the reality of what is happening, most consumers like me have

imagined free range hens playing and moving as they wish like in vast green fields. When I

learned about this slackly defined policy, I instantly boycotted the product, and the label lost

its legitimacy. There are many other labels that are seen to be like the above given example,

natural, environmentally friendly, healthy choice and many more. Those deceptive and

misleading terms need to be removed from the market for the actual environmental


19/33

Page17

performance based and legitimately found eco-labels to achieve their designed effects. This

can be seen in labels that have strict requirements and are regularly verified as the EU Eco-

label, which is promoted only to the finest and best to the environment. [25]

Another issue of eco-labels is the actual transparency and description of them. Consumers

find themselves facing a good amount of eco-labels, which could for someone who notices

them for the first time mean nothing but a nice picture, since the creation of the ecolabel

was to address non-observable characteristics in the first place. Finding what the labels

actually mean could be hard and complicated. Another struggle is having a different product

in each hand labeled with different eco-labels, and trying to compare their environmental

impacts. Therefore, some internet websites provide useful and easy to understand

information on these eco-labels, and also have tools to compare them next to each other, in

a user-friendly way. One good example is eco-label Index, which is the largest global

directory of eco-labels, currently tracking 377 eco-labels in 211 countries, and 25 industry

sectors. [26] It gives the consumers the ability to research, filter and compare eco-labels,

whether set by category, name, sector or region.

Having different types of labels provides solutions to different market needs [27]. But for

customers, this could be a problem, especially when even single labels are non-constant.

This is very time consuming, trying to figure out which label is the one Im looking for, while

standing in a supermarket isle. Likewise, businesses have to spend more money and

resource power to choose the right and credible eco-label for them. This is specially

affecting the developing countries and small to mid-sized companies, which are unable to

afford the incredibly expensive conveyance of a life cycle assessment, or the certification

overheads [23]. There is a need for an oligopoly, with a handful of plausible labels to

dominate the market and create a longer and more trustworthy relationship with customers

and reduce the confusion and unnecessary complexities. [28]

In view of that, there are different solutions and approaches to deal with eco-label

problems. One could argue that if there is a need for a large number of certificates and

certifiers, there could still be a comprehensive comparison tool or even creating a

measuring unit, to identify and evaluate the labels side by side by the same standards. This

would create a more transparent market, as it would require a high level of collaboration


20/33

Page18

between manufacturers. In order to expand the transparency to the retailers and

consumers as well, the standardization could be strengthened by consumer-based

information communities, such as GoodGuide. Such communications will allow for better

brand management, improved organization values and the development of data in the

sharing of collective resources. Another useful idea is to create an intermediate stage

between the diminutive statement of the eco-label and the long complicated life cycle

assessment. This would make it possible for a broader set of customers to be able to acquire

more information on the products and services. Also the creation of a life cycle mark-up

language could be used to distribute the results of the LCA analysis between the different

businesses, in a computerized language format that could be read by any workstation

system. [29] At last, it is most important to keep updating the eco-label standards and

criteria, setting the goals higher by time, rather than creating new labels. There should be

no settling, until there exists the closed sustainable product cycle.

Fig. 5: Various eco-labels logos (internet)


21/33

Page19

Green building certification

The use of energy in buildings accounts for about 40% share of the total end use of energy.

[30] This includes energy used for controlling the climate in buildings and for the buildings

themselves, but also energy used for appliances, lighting and other installed equipment.

One of the longer-term cycles can be seen in the green building movement. We are nearing

the end of that long era in the building business where, to maximize their revenue,

developers set their budget for a buildings costs as low as possible, and architects,

contractors, engineers, and everyone else who will construct a piece of the complete

building compete for their share of that fixed budget. That system encourages bidders to

find ways to cut their costs to the bare minimum to increase their profits. For instance, the

subcontractor for the heating and cooling system has every reason to install the cheapest

installation he or she can find that will do the job and just meet building codes, rather than a

higher priced one that will save energy and money over the long utilization of the tenants,

the real customers of the building.

Disclosure of the ecological downside of commercial buildings has arrived in the

construction sector in the form of a green building certificate, a form of a market based

instrument and an eco-label, for instance LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental

Design). LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing

third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies

aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings,

water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and

stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. LEED is flexible enough to apply to

all building types commercial as well as residential. It works throughout the building

lifecycle design and construction, operations and maintenance, tenant fit-out and

significant retrofit. LEED for Neighborhood Development extends the benefits of LEED

beyond the building footprint into the neighborhood it serves. It promotes a whole-building

approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in the key areas of sustainable sites,

water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, Indoor Environmental

Quality, location and linkage, awareness and education and innovation in design. The rating

system of LEED is divided into platinum, gold, silver and just certified. [31]


22/33

Page20

As a result, like any other product scoring system, LEED gives the consumer a sense of how

the building is performing in all the above mentioned criteria. While some post-occupant

studies have shown improvements in energy and resource use in buildings, they have yet to

be conducted on a very large scale, providing for weak statistics on the matter. Once a LEED

certification is granted, it does not have to be renewed. If the energy use of a building does

not change even after certification, should the building be allowed to call itself LEED

certified? One large problem lies in the fact that post-occupancy results do not play a role in

granting the certification. This may allow many individuals to market their properties as

green without the building having any significant reduction in electricity usage.

Another major downside of the LEED certification is its globalization strategy. While the

certification may have good results in one climate, it by no means indicate that it can be

used everywhere. Therefore, local systems of performance based rating are encouraged to

be created for every region and country, to aim for its climate, culture and economy. In the

course of my stay in the UAE I have seen cases of buildings that were designed to meet the

standards and get accredited with LEED, under the appeal of the developers. In my opinion,

using LEED in the Emirates caused more harm than good. Clients were charged more for the

design, the certification itself costs a lot of money, energy values were set to U.S. standardsand water saving points were too little for the desert environment. Other examples are like

having bicycle racks and shower facilities integrated in the building design for the purpose of

achieving its credit points. Those add-ons are a total waste, as they are not used because of

the regions climate and its culture. But afterwards, a new and local system was created

called Estidama, which means sustainability in Arabic. They focused more on integrated

design principles that helped reducing the extra costs of construction. Estidama had the

credit load distribution set to mirror the regional vernacular requirements, for instance

having a larger number of credits, prerequisites and standards for water conservation. [32]

While these examples are relatively easy to understand, there is another set of radical

changes that need to happen in both the design and the marketing industries. To sincerely

create a sustainable design, one has to start from within, in this case the design, up to the

marketing phase till operation and maintenance. All members and actors have to be

involved from the beginning of a project. Whole systems thinking needs to replace isolated


23/33

Page21

conventional systems to adapt sustainable processes. Interactive processed will have to

replace linear ones. Time and energy will have to be loaded in the earliest stage possible.

Life-cycle costing will replace the emphasis on upfront costs method.

As for the accreditation, all systems I have been exposed to, LEED, BREEAM, GreenStar and

Estidama, have the same 3 to 5 rating stars, points or pearls. These ratings do not translate

directly into customers needs and understandings and therefore loose a part of their value

through their ambiguity. A home buyer would want to see those ratings divided into

categories like energy saving, water conservation, and so on, also accompanied by the

optimal use setup and configurations, like that you get when you buy a new laptop labeled

with an energy star. In order to speed up and encourage the improvement of the building

sector, transparency has to exist, in abundance. The construction industrys bar for green is

in continuous upgrade. Industrial designers envision a coming generation of living buildings

that will operate like an accessory to nature, producing more clean energy and water than

they use.

I think that building certificates, like by now in Abu Dhabi, could be set to be mandatory.

Having a tool that can link the producing and consumer power can set the bar higher in

terms of performance based properties as buildings. With the competitiveness,

instructiveness and flexibility nature of the certificates, developers would not only be

forced, but also encouraged to decide on the right choices when it comes to things like

building materials and contractor selection. A constantly updated environmental framework

will speed up the worlds goal of achieving the demands to sustain the earths biodiversity.

Fig. 6: Green building certification logos (internet)


24/33

Page22

Estidama

As mentioned in the last section, achieving Estidamas pearl rating is since 2009 a

mandatory requirement for any upcoming development or building in the emirate of Abu

Dhabi. As it is stated on Abu Dhabis urban planning councils website Estidama is now

incorporated into the planning approval and permitting processes. All new projects must

achieve a minimum 1 Pearl rating. Government funded buildings must achieve a minimum 2

Pearl rating. [33] The pearl rating system is Estidamas evaluation tool, which assesses

sustainability performance of developments, buildings and villas. One of the main

differences between the international green building certificates and Estidama is that its

designed to address not only environmental, but also social and cultural aspects as part of

the sustainability frameworks. So Estidama is both, an obligatory, legally binding and a

voluntary tool (3-5 pearls are always voluntary). This is beneficial in having the same

standards and measuring scales applied for both tools, which is set this way to avoid the

otherwise known standardization problem discussed in the eco-label section.

Fig. 7: Estidamas four pillars (Estidama.org)


25/33

Page23

The Abu Dhabi urban planning council (UPC) drives and supports the citys urban

development strategy, by developing plans that create leading principles, which regulates

critical projects designed to shape the Emirate. Their aim incorporates complex systems,

which takes the analysis of the urban fabric, land availability and its best use into account. It

also integrates a wide range of environmental aspects, mobility, infrastructure and urban

services into the citys development policy. [33] The UPC created the Abu Dhabi 2030 plan,

which is the citys urban structure framework, to optimize the city through an ongoing

program lasting for the next 20 years. The Plan 2030 is aimed to draw the roadmap to a

sustainable, socially interconnected community, which will achieve the infrastructure needs

of the foreseen growth in population. This forethought to plan for infrastructure in advance

is a key example of visionary governance. A US based think tank that researches and

promotes good government and social responsibility by corporations, Abu Dhabi is on the

right path in transforming itself into the sustainable capital of the Arab world. [34]

The reason UPC and Plan 2030 is discussed here is to show the interconnectivity of the

Estidama program and how they are all integrated into each other, with the overall goal of

achieving a sustainable future of the citys urban built environment, and eventually later on

applied country wide. The early fundamentals and ambitions of Estidama are built into Plan2030 and other UPC policies for. This can be seen in the UPCs development review process,

as it sets a clear path for any project application regardless of its scale, to fulfill the

compulsory requirements of the Pearl System beforehand. [35] This is to be able to apply an

easy and comprehensible linear process for a complex integrated solution, which takes all

aspects into consideration from the initiation phase. In other words, ensuring the integrated

design process will take place, and avoiding the last minute solution crisis, which is

commonly tremendously expensive and unsuitable.

Additionally, it is worth noting that the obligatory Plan 2030 was formed without the

consultation of public opinion. The ambitious and stringent standards in this sense could be

seen as having been developed within a vacuum, without taking current structural and

institutional into account. This has resulted in a lack of firms being able to participate in the

scheme, due to a lack of financial and technical capacity. There is a need for supporting

education and public awareness programs regarding the sustainability issues in the Middle


26/33

Page24

East, which Estidama has initiated. The training program is intended to create awareness,

application and administration of the agenda.

Although the Estidama principle is ideologically strong, in practice the results of these strict

building standards at times fail to be realized. This is due in part to the tightened

relationship community and the socio-economic structures, which can circumvent strict

building requirements. Simply put, this is a very new system to the very old personal

relationships in comparison to much older business ties, which at times leads to corruption

or lax restrictions. Secondly, the application of new building technologies is costly and in

most cases people built for profitability, not only for environmental concerns. So in order for

firms to apply ambitions standards, significant capital is needed, which places small and

medium size businesses at a disadvantage.

As a final point, the pearl rating system, which requires a high level of integration in all

project stages to demonstrate its collaboration, is the only government sustainable rating

initiative that combines legally binding and voluntary schemes. It is based on performance

liability and rewards projects that operate efficiently and optimally over the design,

construction and occupancy phases.

As described on their website: The Pearl Rating System for Estidama is a framework for

sustainable design, construction and operation of communities, buildings and villas. The

Pearl Rating System is unique in the world and is specifically tailored to the hot climate and

arid environment of Abu Dhabi. The Pearl Rating System is part of the government wide

collaborative initiative to improve the lives of all citizens living in Abu Dhabi Emirate, by

supporting the social and cultural traditions and values of Abu Dhabi. It reinforces what this

unique place has been in the past and hopes to be long into the future. [36]


27/33

Page25

Fig. 8: A linear relationship between Estidama, UPC and Plan 2030 (Estidama.org)


28/33

Page26

Concluding remarks

Beneath disputes about defining, designing, or measuring sustainable consumption lie the

critical questions of how to actually motivate the public to consume more environmentally

and socially sound products and how to motivate producers to deliver these improved

goods and services. To date, life cycle assessments have had limited impacts on actual

consumption patterns. I believe this can be changed by supplying extreme transparency in

information, and also user friendliness and education of social and sustainable awareness.

Transparency would make consumers purchase greener products when they have credible

information that allows them to feel confident in their ability to evaluate whether or not

their choice is actually having an impact. Most consumers do not have access to information

on the environmental or social impacts of the products they purchase, or do not trust the

information that is provided by firms, or simply find it hard to understand them.

Even, for some people, when they understand the impacts and consequences and savings of

their decisions and choices of consumptions, it is sometimes hard to do the right thing. This

is due to the human way of having habits, finding it hard to change even when knowing the

real cost. Ethical and cultural changes need to happen, where the link between the cost and

ecological impact need to be bridged. It is exactly like buying a stolen merchandize, ethically

most civilized people would reject to buy such commodities, knowing that they were stolen

and therefore offered with a cheaper price. So the same applies to all non-sustainable goods

and all non-sustainable makers, where the maker can be seen as a thief, when they steal the

earths ecosystem biodiversity, and next generations right to live the way we should have.

To increase the significance and power of consumers, voters and tax payers, one could drive

the idea of giving them more legal right to form and change the initiatives. In order to have

the environmental problems solved through the majority rather than the minority,

education, awareness and transparency need to be introduced. Programs, such as LCA

comprehension and ecological measures could be introduced into new schools education

curriculums.

Business anywhere, including the so called developing countries, is no longer business as

usual. Companies, producers, businessmen, retailers, NGOs and governments need to


29/33

Page27

develop new capabilities if they expect to be successful and sustainable. If they expect their

business to continue to be relevant and meet its clients needs, they need to understand

how design will reshape their expectations and their business environment. Organizations

that incorporate effective design and harness creativity are more likely to succeed

tomorrow. In a rapidly shifting environment, they must adopt new approaches to address

regional and increasingly global challenges. In order to do that, they need new, creative and

innovative tools. New thinking on the sustainability debates is a positive signal and should

always be welcomed. All knowledgeable should offer their know-how, and engage the

people in dialogues. It is time the world collaborates on design, creativity, experience and

information, in a drastically transparent manner, in order to stimulate our capabilities and

embolden us to embrace change, an act that is at times disruptive to our traditional

practices, but can ultimately be uplifting and rewarding.


30/33

Page28

Bibliography

[1] An Overview of Market-Based Instruments and Environmental Policy in Australia.

ecosystemservicesproject.org. [Online].

http://www.ecosystemservicesproject.org/html/publications/docs/MBIs_overview.pdf

[2] Property Rights and Environmental Policy. treasury.govt. [Online].

http://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/research-policy/wp/2003/03-02/twp03-

02.pdf

[3] Market-based instrumentsFAQs. marketbasedinstruments.gov.au. [Online].

http://www.marketbasedinstruments.gov.au/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=g%2BA81CV%2B

kC8%3D&tabid=78&mid=780

[4] cap and trade. storyofstuff.com. [Online]. http://storyofstuff.com/capandtrade/

[5] Why Does Environmental Policy in Representative Democracies Tend to Be

Inadequate? A Preliminary Public Choice Analysis. mdpi.com. [Online].

http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/2/12/3710/pdf

[6] The Costs of Environmental Regulation in Asia. adb.org. [Online].

http://www.adb.org/documents/periodicals/adr/pdf/ADR-Vol16-1-Markandya.pdf

[7] LCA: principles and practice. epa.gov. [Online].

http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/lcaccess/pdfs/chapter1_frontmatter_lca101.pdf

[8] Life cycle assessment. wikipedia.org. [Online].

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_cycle_assessment

[9] P&G's Sustainability Initiatives. fastcompany.com. [Online].

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/127/green-business-pgs-chemistry-test.html

[10] goodguide. goodguide.com. [Online]. http://www.goodguide.com/about

[11] The good consumer. economist.com. [Online].
http://www.ecosystemservicesproject.org/html/publications/docs/MBIs_overview.pdfhttp://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/research-policy/wp/2003/03-02/twp03-02.pdfhttp://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/research-policy/wp/2003/03-02/twp03-02.pdfhttp://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/research-policy/wp/2003/03-02/twp03-02.pdfhttp://www.marketbasedinstruments.gov.au/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=g%2BA81CV%2BkC8%3D&tabid=78&mid=780http://www.marketbasedinstruments.gov.au/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=g%2BA81CV%2BkC8%3D&tabid=78&mid=780http://storyofstuff.com/capandtrade/http://storyofstuff.com/capandtrade/http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/2/12/3710/pdfhttp://www.adb.org/documents/periodicals/adr/pdf/ADR-Vol16-1-Markandya.pdfhttp://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/lcaccess/pdfs/chapter1_frontmatter_lca101.pdfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_cycle_assessmenthttp://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/127/green-business-pgs-chemistry-test.htmlhttp://www.goodguide.com/abouthttp://www.goodguide.com/abouthttp://www.goodguide.com/abouthttp://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/127/green-business-pgs-chemistry-test.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_cycle_assessmenthttp://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/lcaccess/pdfs/chapter1_frontmatter_lca101.pdfhttp://www.adb.org/documents/periodicals/adr/pdf/ADR-Vol16-1-Markandya.pdfhttp://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/2/12/3710/pdfhttp://storyofstuff.com/capandtrade/http://www.marketbasedinstruments.gov.au/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=g%2BA81CV%2BkC8%3D&tabid=78&mid=780http://www.marketbasedinstruments.gov.au/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=g%2BA81CV%2BkC8%3D&tabid=78&mid=780http://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/research-policy/wp/2003/03-02/twp03-02.pdfhttp://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/research-policy/wp/2003/03-02/twp03-02.pdfhttp://www.ecosystemservicesproject.org/html/publications/docs/MBIs_overview.pdf


31/33

Page29

http://www.economist.com/node/10491144

[12] Ten stats about teens and the environment. relightny.com. [Online].

http://www.relightny.com/press/Teen_Survey_Results.pdf

[13] Open source transparency for sustainability. earthster.org. [Online].

http://www.earthster.org/

[14] Non-governmental organization. wikipedia.org. [Online].

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-governmental_organization#cite_ref-0

[15] John R. Seffrin. enotes.com. [Online]. http://www.enotes.com/public-health-

encyclopedia/nongovernmental-organizations-united-states

[16] Electronics TakeBack Coalition. electronicstakeback.com. [Online].

http://www.electronicstakeback.com/about-us/

[17] Apple Recycling Program. apple.com. [Online]. http://www.apple.com/recycling/

[18] the story of electronics. storyofstuff.org/electronics/. [Online].

http://storyofstuff.org/electronics/

[19] Dara ORourke. nature.berkeley.edu. [Online].

http://nature.berkeley.edu/orourke/PDF/MarketMovements.pdf

[20] The Role of Green NGOs in promoting Climate Compliance. fni.no. [Online].

http://fni.no/doc&pdf/rapp0403.pdf

[21] Understanding Eco-labels. federalelectronicschallenge.net. [Online].

http://www.federalelectronicschallenge.net/resources/docs/ecolabel.pdf

[22] Introduction to Ecolabels and Environmental Product Declarations. ecospecifier.com.

[Online].http://ecospecifier.com.au/knowledge-green/technical-guides/technical-

guide-9-introduction-to-ecolabels-and-environmental-product-declarations.aspx#type

III
http://www.economist.com/node/10491144http://www.relightny.com/press/Teen_Survey_Results.pdfhttp://www.earthster.org/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-governmental_organization#cite_ref-0http://www.enotes.com/public-health-encyclopedia/nongovernmental-organizations-united-stateshttp://www.enotes.com/public-health-encyclopedia/nongovernmental-organizations-united-stateshttp://www.enotes.com/public-health-encyclopedia/nongovernmental-organizations-united-stateshttp://www.electronicstakeback.com/about-us/http://www.apple.com/recycling/http://www.apple.com/recycling/http://storyofstuff.org/electronics/http://nature.berkeley.edu/orourke/PDF/MarketMovements.pdfhttp://fni.no/doc&pdf/rapp0403.pdfhttp://www.federalelectronicschallenge.net/resources/docs/ecolabel.pdfhttp://ecospecifier.com.au/knowledge-green/technical-guides/technical-guide-9-introduction-to-ecolabels-and-environmental-product-declarations.aspx#type%20IIIhttp://ecospecifier.com.au/knowledge-green/technical-guides/technical-guide-9-introduction-to-ecolabels-and-environmental-product-declarations.aspx#type%20IIIhttp://ecospecifier.com.au/knowledge-green/technical-guides/technical-guide-9-introduction-to-ecolabels-and-environmental-product-declarations.aspx#type%20IIIhttp://ecospecifier.com.au/knowledge-green/technical-guides/technical-guide-9-introduction-to-ecolabels-and-environmental-product-declarations.aspx#type%20IIIhttp://ecospecifier.com.au/knowledge-green/technical-guides/technical-guide-9-introduction-to-ecolabels-and-environmental-product-declarations.aspx#type%20IIIhttp://ecospecifier.com.au/knowledge-green/technical-guides/technical-guide-9-introduction-to-ecolabels-and-environmental-product-declarations.aspx#type%20IIIhttp://ecospecifier.com.au/knowledge-green/technical-guides/technical-guide-9-introduction-to-ecolabels-and-environmental-product-declarations.aspx#type%20IIIhttp://ecospecifier.com.au/knowledge-green/technical-guides/technical-guide-9-introduction-to-ecolabels-and-environmental-product-declarations.aspx#type%20IIIhttp://www.federalelectronicschallenge.net/resources/docs/ecolabel.pdfhttp://fni.no/doc&pdf/rapp0403.pdfhttp://nature.berkeley.edu/orourke/PDF/MarketMovements.pdfhttp://storyofstuff.org/electronics/http://www.apple.com/recycling/http://www.electronicstakeback.com/about-us/http://www.enotes.com/public-health-encyclopedia/nongovernmental-organizations-united-stateshttp://www.enotes.com/public-health-encyclopedia/nongovernmental-organizations-united-stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-governmental_organization#cite_ref-0http://www.earthster.org/http://www.relightny.com/press/Teen_Survey_Results.pdfhttp://www.economist.com/node/10491144


32/33

Page30

[23] Product Certification and Ecolabelling for Fisheries Sustainability. fao.org. [Online].

http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y2789e/y2789e00.htm#Contents

[24] Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms. fsis.usda.gov. [Online].

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/Meat_&_Poultry_Labeling_Terms/index.asp

[25] What is the Ecolabel? ec.europa.eu. [Online].

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/about_ecolabel/what_is_ecolabel_en.htm

[26] Ecolabel Index. ecolabelindex.com. [Online]. http://www.ecolabelindex.com/

[27] The War Over Eco-Labels. greenbiz.com. [Online].

http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2009/04/28/war-over-eco-labels

[28] Are there too many eco-labels and green ratings? greenbiz.com. [Online].

http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/09/23/are-there-too-many-eco-labels-and-green-

ratings

[29] The Consumption Dilemma. deloitte.com. [Online].

https://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-

Global/Local%20Assets/Documents/Consumption_Dilemma_2011.pdf

[30] Energy efficiency requirements in building codes. iea.org. [Online].

http://www.iea.org/g8/2008/Building_Codes.pdf

[31] Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. usgbc.org. [Online].

http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19

[32] estidama. estidama.org/. [Online]. http://estidama.org/

[33] Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council. upc.gov.ae. [Online]. http://www.upc.gov.ae/abu-

dhabi-2030.aspx?lang=en-US

[34] Abu Dhabi Plan 2030. upc.gov.ae. [Online]. http://www.upc.gov.ae/abu-dhabi-

2030.aspx?lang=en-US
http://ecospecifier.com.au/knowledge-green/technical-guides/technical-guide-9-introduction-to-ecolabels-and-environmental-product-declarations.aspx#type%20IIIhttp://ecospecifier.com.au/knowledge-green/technical-guides/technical-guide-9-introduction-to-ecolabels-and-environmental-product-declarations.aspx#type%20IIIhttp://ecospecifier.com.au/knowledge-green/technical-guides/technical-guide-9-introduction-to-ecolabels-and-environmental-product-declarations.aspx#type%20IIIhttp://ecospecifier.com.au/knowledge-green/technical-guides/technical-guide-9-introduction-to-ecolabels-and-environmental-product-declarations.aspx#type%20IIIhttp://ecospecifier.com.au/knowledge-green/technical-guides/technical-guide-9-introduction-to-ecolabels-and-environmental-product-declarations.aspx#type%20IIIhttp://ecospecifier.com.au/knowledge-green/technical-guides/technical-guide-9-introduction-to-ecolabels-and-environmental-product-declarations.aspx#type%20IIIhttp://ecospecifier.com.au/knowledge-green/technical-guides/technical-guide-9-introduction-to-ecolabels-and-environmental-product-declarations.aspx#type%20IIIhttp://ecospecifier.com.au/knowledge-green/technical-guides/technical-guide-9-introduction-to-ecolabels-and-environmental-product-declarations.aspx#type%20IIIhttp://ecospecifier.com.au/knowledge-green/technical-guides/technical-guide-9-introduction-to-ecolabels-and-environmental-product-declarations.aspx#type%20IIIhttp://ecospecifier.com.au/knowledge-green/technical-guides/technical-guide-9-introduction-to-ecolabels-and-environmental-product-declarations.aspx#type%20IIIhttp://ecospecifier.com.au/knowledge-green/technical-guides/technical-guide-9-introduction-to-ecolabels-and-environmental-product-declarations.aspx#type%20IIIhttp://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y2789e/y2789e00.htm#Contentshttp://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/Meat_&_Poultry_Labeling_Terms/index.asphttp://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/about_ecolabel/what_is_ecolabel_en.htmhttp://www.ecolabelindex.com/http://www.ecolabelindex.com/http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2009/04/28/war-over-eco-labelshttp://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/09/23/are-there-too-many-eco-labels-and-green-ratingshttp://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/09/23/are-there-too-many-eco-labels-and-green-ratingshttp://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/09/23/are-there-too-many-eco-labels-and-green-ratingshttps://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-Global/Local%20Assets/Documents/Consumption_Dilemma_2011.pdfhttps://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-Global/Local%20Assets/Documents/Consumption_Dilemma_2011.pdfhttp://www.iea.org/g8/2008/Building_Codes.pdfhttp://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19http://estidama.org/http://estidama.org/http://www.upc.gov.ae/abu-dhabi-2030.aspx?lang=en-UShttp://www.upc.gov.ae/abu-dhabi-2030.aspx?lang=en-UShttp://www.upc.gov.ae/abu-dhabi-2030.aspx?lang=en-UShttp://www.upc.gov.ae/abu-dhabi-2030.aspx?lang=en-UShttp://www.upc.gov.ae/abu-dhabi-2030.aspx?lang=en-UShttp://www.upc.gov.ae/abu-dhabi-2030.aspx?lang=en-UShttp://www.upc.gov.ae/abu-dhabi-2030.aspx?lang=en-UShttp://www.upc.gov.ae/abu-dhabi-2030.aspx?lang=en-UShttp://www.upc.gov.ae/abu-dhabi-2030.aspx?lang=en-UShttp://www.upc.gov.ae/abu-dhabi-2030.aspx?lang=en-UShttp://estidama.org/http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19http://www.iea.org/g8/2008/Building_Codes.pdfhttps://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-Global/Local%20Assets/Documents/Consumption_Dilemma_2011.pdfhttps://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-Global/Local%20Assets/Documents/Consumption_Dilemma_2011.pdfhttp://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/09/23/are-there-too-many-eco-labels-and-green-ratingshttp://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2010/09/23/are-there-too-many-eco-labels-and-green-ratingshttp://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2009/04/28/war-over-eco-labelshttp://www.ecolabelindex.com/http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/about_ecolabel/what_is_ecolabel_en.htmhttp://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/Meat_&_Poultry_Labeling_Terms/index.asphttp://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y2789e/y2789e00.htm#Contents


33/33

Page31

[35] Planning for Estidama. estidama.org. [Online].

http://estidama.org/template/estidama/docs/Planning%20for%20Estidama.pdf

[36] Estidama and Pearl Rating System. estidama.org. [Online].

http://estidama.org/estidama-and-pearl-rating-system.aspx?lang=en-US
http://estidama.org/template/estidama/docs/Planning%20for%20Estidama.pdfhttp://estidama.org/estidama-and-pearl-rating-system.aspx?lang=en-UShttp://estidama.org/estidama-and-pearl-rating-system.aspx?lang=en-UShttp://estidama.org/template/estidama/docs/Planning%20for%20Estidama.pdf