Eco-Schools teach eco-citizenship

Eco-Schools is an international programme for schools, for environmental management and certification, and sustainable development education. It started as a European programme in 1994 to involve young people in finding solutions to environmental and sustainable development challenges at the local level, as identified at the UN Conference on Environment and Development – Earth Summit – of 1992. Apparently some 40,000 schools are now involved internationally!

Blue Flag flies standard for beaches, marinas and boats

The Blue Flag is an eco-label awarded to thousands of beaches and marinas across Europe, South Africa, Morocco, New Zealand, Canada and the Caribbean.

The Blue Flag works towards sustainable development at beaches/marinas through strict criteria dealing with water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, and safety and other services. The Programme includes environmental education and information for the public, decision makers and tourism operators. For boats there is a code of conduct.

The EU Eco-label: flowering across Europe

The European Union Eco-label or Flower is

a voluntary scheme designed to encourage businesses to market products and services that are kinder to the environment and for European consumers – including public and private purchasers – to easily identify them.

I don’t recall ever seeing the Eco-label. Just how far has it spread?

Energy Star: Leading energy efficiency across the Atlantic

The Energy Star program was started in 1992 by the U.S. government. The site has a lot of information for consumers, businesses and public sector organizations. It’s a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy about “helping (Americans) all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices”.

In the European Union, the EU Energy Star programme is concerned more specifically with energy efficient office equipment (not as easy to navigate, but still useful). This is managed by the European Commission.