Voice of Jaipur, April 22, 2022
CUTS observed Earth Day 2022 at Mother Earth sculpture site at Jaipur today on April 22, 2022 to demand for an effective Ecomark in India. Ecomarks are important for promotion of sustainable consumption and production policy which aims at reducing the negative impact of consumption and production on the environment, health, climate and natural resources.
Ecomark scheme was launched in 1991 by the Ministry of Environment & Forest, Govt of India to easily identify environment friendly products. The label is awarded to consumer goods, which meet the specified environmental criteria and the quality requirements of Indian standards. Ecomark is identified by the symbol of Matka (earthen pot).
The scheme has not been able to take off as expected due to a number of reasons, including the absence of support through government procurement. Government and concern agencies need to implement scheme in effective manner and should create awareness to increase consumer demands. Neither producers nor consumers are either aware of its existence or willing to go for this label.
For sustainable consumption to happen, the government need to ensure that the market provides consumers with sustainable choices that are reliable and trust worthy. Today the market shelves are overtaken by products that position themselves as ‘sustainable’, ‘environment friendly’, ‘eco-friendly’, ‘Recyclable’ etc., whereas in actual they don’t. They are merely taking advantage of the changing consumer behaviour to push their sales. A reliable ecolabel is a must for consumers to be sure that the products they choose can be trusted and have a proven environmental benefit.
CUTS is a global advocacy group and think tank working for sustainable consumption for many years. The site of Mother Earth sculpture was chosen because of its relevance. Sculpture acts as a symbol of Sustainability and helps to raise awareness of our need to save the planet for future generations.
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