Green Choices
“Environmental Labelling enable consumers to make informed choices when purchasing eco-friendly or sustainable products.”
Zhang Xiao Dan,
GGEF 2018 Social Eco Game Changer Award Winner
General Manager, China Environmental United Certification Center (CEC)
Ms Zhang Xiaodan can be considered one of the unsung heroes in promoting sustainable consumption and production through her work over the years in the area of environmental labelling.
As CEC General Manager, Ms Zhang is mainly responsible for China Environmental Labeling Program development, related policies and standards research, green public procurement and green supply chain management innovation, addressing climate change strategy research and projects implementation etc. She has contributed greatly to the development of China’s environmental labelling scheme.
At present, there are already more than 100 criteria for China environmental labelling products ranging from household appliances to automobiles and other consumables.
The China Environment Labelling certification results have been adopted by government and launched China Green Public Procurement since 2006 with remarkable achievements over the past years. Also, China Environment Labelling has received positive feedback from consumers who appreciate being able to make informed choices when buying eco-friendly products. This has in turn incentivized manufacturers to go green in a bid to woo the increasingly environmentally conscious group of consumers.
Obtaining the China Environmental Label complying with international guidelines also gives certified Chinese manufacturers a competitive edge in reaching out to the global market. China Environment Labelling Scheme has signed MOU or MRA with 13 foreign ecolabel schemes in the world such as Germany Blue Angel, Nordic Swan and Japanese Ecomark.
On behalf of Chinese environmental labeling Scheme, Ms Zhang has also been elected as a board member of the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN), which deals with the development of strategy and technical rules of global eco labelling.
She has been also engaged in major research projects on ecolabelling, green public procurement, sustainable consumption and production, address climate change, low carbon development and other sustainable fields at both national and international levels, with UNEP, ADB, World Bank and governments.
