Agenda 21 – Sustainable development for the 21st century
March 5, 2008
Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the United Nations System, Governments, and Major Groups in every area in which human impacts on the environment.
Agenda 21 and eco-labels have a strong connection. Implementing eco-label schemes is one direct way that communities and organisations can contribute to Agenda 21. Although implementation of Agenda 21 is essentially voluntary at country level, some national and regional governments have passed laws or given advice that local authorities implement the plan locally, in programmes which have come to be known as Local Agenda 21 (or LA21).
As residents, consumers or tax payers, we can ask organisations and local authorities what they are doing towards Agenda 21.
Eco-Schools teach eco-citizenship
February 27, 2008
| 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! |
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Blue Flag flies standard for beaches, marinas and boats
February 25, 2008
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 Green Key to your holiday
February 20, 2008
Eco-labels are for services too, not just for products.
The Green Key
is a diploma awarded companies within tourism: hotels, youth hostels, conference- and holiday centres, campsites, holidayhouses, leisure facilities and restaurants.
Green Flag Awards Green Spaces
February 4, 2008
The Green Flag Awards scheme is the national standard for parks and green spaces in the United Kingdom. The Green Flag Award is open to any freely accessible green space, urban or rural.
On an armchair walk around winning sites and pictures of people involved, this looks likes it been enthusiastically embraced by many local communities.
Recycle Now – but only in England
January 10, 2008
The RecycleNow logo is for a recycling campaign, rather than for materials, products or services.
It’s aimed at consumers, to encourage them – so that’s me and you – to recycle, but doesn’t seem to involve so much effort for manufacturers, to encourage them to increase recyclability.
The EU Eco-label: flowering across Europe
December 3, 2007
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?
Infomancy 