WORLD TRADE WT/CTE/W/45
15April 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-1594)
Committee onTrade andEnvironment
ECO-LABELLING: OVERVIEW OFCURRENT WORK
INVARIOUS INTERNATIONAL FORA
Note bytheSecretariat
I. INTRODUCTION
1. ThisNotehasbeenprepared inresponse totherequest made bytheCommittee onTrade and
Environment (CTE) foranoverview ofthework thatiscurrently being undertaken invarious
international forainthefieldofeco-labelling. While theNote presents thework thatisongoing in
anumber offora,italsoprovides anoverview ofthework theyhaverecently completed, inparticular
inrelation tothemarket access impact ofeco-labelling schemes.1
2. Thefollowing organizations areconsidered inthisNote:
(i) theCodex Alimentarius Commission;
(ii) theInternational Trade Centre (ITC) ;
(iii) theOrganisation forEconomic Co-operation andDevelopment (OECD);
(iv) theUnited Nations Conference onTrade andDevelopment (UNCTAD);
(v) theUnited Nations Environment Programme (UNEP);
(vi) theUnited Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); and
(vii) theInternational Organization forStandardization (ISO)
II. THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION
TheCodex Alimentarius Commission isdeveloping guidelines forthelabelling oforganically
produced foods. Theguidelines which arecurrently atadraftstage, areexpected tobefinalized at
thetwenty fifthsession oftheCodex Committee onFood Labelling, which willtakeplace inCanada
from15-18 April 1997. Theywillthenbesubmitted totheCodex Alimentarius Commission atitsnext
meeting, inJune1997, forafinaldecision ontheirstatus.
3. AspartoftheJointFood andAgriculture Organization andWorld Health Organization Food
Standards Programme, theCodex Committee onFood Labelling ispreparing Draft Guidelines forthe
Production, Processing, Labelling andMarketing ofOrganically Produced Foods.
4. Intheguidelines, organic agriculture isdefined as"aholistic production management system
which promotes andenhances biodiversity, biological cycles andsoilbiological activity. Itisbased
1Should delegations consider ituseful, theSecretariat stands ready tocarry outmore in-depth analysis of
various aspects ofeco-labelling.WT/CTE/W/45
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onthelowuseofexternal inputs andnon-use ofartificial fertilizers andpesticides"2.With respect
toeco-labelling, theguidelines address products thatarelabelled andsoldas"organic."
5. Theguidelines setoutprinciples fororganic production, and,among other things, indicate
theacceptable amounts ofsoilfertilizers andconditioners tobeused. With respect tolabelling, they
restrict theuseofterms indicating thatorganic production methods havebeenusedtoonlythoseproducts
obtained from "operators" under thesupervision ofaninspection body3.
6. Theaimoftheguidelines is:(i)toprotect consumers against deception andfraud inthemarket
place andunsubstantiated product claims; (ii)toprotect growers oforganic produce against
misrepresentation ofother agricultural produce asbeing organic; (iii)toensure thatallstages of
production, preparation, processing, storage, transport andmarketing aresubject toinspection and
comply withtheguidelines; (iv)toharmonize provisions fortheproduction, certification, identification
andlabelling oforganically grown produce; (v)toprovide international guidelines fororganic food
control systems inorder tofacilitate recognition ofnational systems asequivalent forthepurposes
ofimports; and(vi)tomaintain andenhance organic agricultural systems ineachcountry soasto
contribute tolocalandglobal preservation.
III. THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE
TheITCorganized aworkshop oneco-labelling inthetextiles andclothing sector in1995.
Thepapers presented attheworkshop havebeenpublished bytheITC. Several ofthemaddress the
trade effects ofeco-labelling schemes. TheITChasalsoproduced anews bulletin oneco-labelling.
While theITCisstillplanning itsfuture workprogramme inthisarea, itishoping toalign itsactivities
withthedevelopments thattakeplace onthisissue intheWTO'sCTE. Asithaddoneinthepast, it
willcontinue toorganize aseries ofworkshops related totheWTO Agreement onTextiles andClothing
in1997, andexpects thattheenvironmental issues related totheAgreement (including eco-labelling)
willbediscussed.
7. In1995, theITCorganized aworkshop onEco-Labelling andother Environmental Quality
Requirements inTextiles andClothing. Theobjective oftheworkshop wastoincrease awareness among
developing countries oftheenvironmental quality requirements thatexist inthetextiles andclothing
sectors, andtofacilitate theexchange ofinformation andexperiences among them. Representatives
fromthebusiness community andpublic sector of12developing countries withsignificant production
andexport interest inthetextiles andclothing sector participated intheworkshop.
8. Adocument entitled Eco-Labelling andOther Environmental Quality Requirements inTextiles
andClothing-ImplicationsforDevelopingCountries,whichisacompilationofselectedpaperspresented
attheITCWorkshop, wasproduced in1996. Anumber ofthese papers address thetrade effects of
eco-labelling schemes andtheirimpact ondeveloping countries. Thedocument complements aprevious
(1994) ITCpublication entitled Textiles andClothing: AnIntroduction toQuality Requirements in
Selected Markets .
2Codex Committee onFood Labelling. Draft Guidelines fortheProduction, Processing, Labelling and
Marketing ofOrganically Produced Foods, 1997, para. 2.
3Theterm "operator" isdefined intheguidelines as"aperson whoproduces, prepares orimports, witha
viewtothesubsequent marketing thereof, products referred toinSection 1.1[oftheguidelines], orwhomarkets
such products."WT/CTE/W/45
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9. TheITChasalsopublished anews bulletin oneco-labelling intheareaoftextiles andclothing
(no.48ofFebruary 1996), called Eco-labelling andOther Environmental Requirements inTextiles
andClothing. Thebulletin addresses various technical regulations thatexistinthissector, anddiscusses
theirimplications fordeveloping countries.
IV. ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Theissue ofeco-labelling hasbeenexamined intheOECD bytheJoint Session ofTrade and
Environment Experts. Inarecent report prepared bytheOECD onthesubject, themarket andtrade
impacts oftheeco-labelling schemes thatareinoperation inOECD countries areaddressed. The
OECD 'sfuture workprogramme ineco-labelling isundetermined atpresent, butwillbediscussed at
thenextmeeting oftheJoint Session ofTrade andEnvironment Experts on28-29 April 1997.
10. TheOECD'sJointSessionofTradeandEnvironmentExpertshascarriedoutextensiveanalytical
work ontrade andenvironment issues inthemid-90s. Ithassummarized itskeyconclusions and
recommendations ina1995document entitled Report OnTrade andEnvironment ToTheOECD Council
AtMinisterial Level.Thereport contains asection onLife-Cycle Approaches andTrade, which
concludes witharecommendation toOECD governments:
"OECD Governments should, inaccordance withrelevant multilateral trade
principles andrules, avoid unnecessary trade impacts onforeign exporters withregard
totheirtrade policies andprogrammes based onlife-cycle approaches. They should take
steps to:ensure thetransparency ofthese programmes byproviding appropriate notice
andopportunity forconsultation withtrading partners when significant impacts ontheir
exports areexpected; allow appropriate timeperiods foradaptation bytrading partners to
neworchanged rules andprogrammes; takeintoaccount, where feasible andappropriate,
thedifferent factors andconditions existing forforeign suppliers which maynotbe
relevant fordomestic suppliers; make appropriate provisions, where feasible, forthe
special needs ofdeveloping countries andeconomies intransition; pursue greater
harmonisation oflifecycle methodologies, convergence ofprocedures, aswellas
equivalency andmutual recognition approaches, where appropriate; ensure thatlife-cycle
policies orprogrammes donoteffectively discriminate against foreign producers, ensure
thatcriteria areenvironmentally justified and,where relevant, based onbestavailable
scientific andtechnical information, taking intoaccount relevant environmental principles.
OECD Governments should endeavour, asappropriate, toencourage private programmes
based onlife-cycle approaches toaddress these concerns bytaking similar steps"4.
11. Inthelastmeeting oftheJointSession ofTrade andEnvironment Experts, heldin1997, an
OECD report entitled CaseStudy onEcolabelling Schemes ,waspresented anddiscussed. Thereport
examines aselection ofeco-labelling programmes operating inOECD countries: TheEUEco-label
Award Scheme, theNordic Swan, theSwedish Environmental Choice Programme, theCanadian
Environmental Choice Programme, theBlueAngel, theGreen Seal, theJapanese Eco-Mark, andthe
French NFEnvironment. Itdraws conclusions onthefollowing:
(i) theleveloftransparency anddegree ofconsultation theyinvolve;
(ii) theirmarket impact;
(iii) theirtrade impact; and
4Report OnTrade AndEnvironment ToTheOECD Council AtMinisterial Level, p.9.WT/CTE/W/45
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(iv) theirenvironmental effectiveness.
12. Atthemeeting oftheJointSession, delegates agreed thatthereport should bemade available
toISOTechnical Committee 207/sub-committee 3onEnvironmental Labelling, andsupported further
collaboration between ISOandtheJointSession ofTrade andEnvironment Experts oneco-labelling.
V. THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ONTRADE AND DEVELOPMENT
UNCTAD 'sAdHocWorking Group onTrade, Environment andDevelopment (AHWG) has
examined theissueofeco-labelling. TheUNCTAD Secretariat hasproduced tworeports forexamination
bytheAHWG onvarious aspects ofeco-labelling, including itstrade effects. UNCTAD 'sfuture work
programme consists ofacontinued examination ofthedifferent issues thatsurround eco-labelling
schemes, withafocus ondeveloping countries. UNCTAD willconvene anExpert Meeting on
environmental management standards andtheirimpact ondeveloping countries from29-31 October
1997 inGeneva. UNCTAD isexpecting thepublication, inearly 1997, ofvarious papers which it
hascompiled oneco-labelling .
13. Based onDecision 415(XL)of1994, UNCTAD 'sTrade andDevelopment Board established
anAHWG onTrade, Environment andDevelopment. Atitsfirstandsecond sessions (November 1994
andJune1995), theAHWG examined theissue ofeco-labelling, aswellasthemarket opportunities
forenvironmentally friendly products. With respect toeco-labelling, itfocused onthefollowing:
(i) thecomparative analysis ofcurrent andplanned schemes, withaviewtodiscussing
concepts suchasmutual recognition andequivalencies; and
(ii) theexamination ofthepossibilities fortaking intoaccount theinterests ofdeveloping
countries intheelaboration ofeco-labelling criteria.
14. Thefirstsession oftheAHWG examined anUNCTAD report onEco-labelling andMarket
Opportunities forEnvironmentally Friendly Products ,which focuses onhow"environmentally friendly
products" canbedefined andcertified. Italsoaddresses thetrade andcompetitiveness effects of
eco-labelling schemes, andlooks athowtheycanadversely affect theexport competitiveness of
developingcountriesandactasanon-tariffbarriertotrade.Issuesofimportancetodevelopingcountries,
suchas(i)increased transparency inthedevelopment ofeco-labelling schemes, (ii)thedevelopment
ofinternationallyagreedguidelinesforprinciplestobeadheredtointheseschemes,(iii)theestablishment
oftheequivalency ofeco-labelling criteria, (iv)theencouragement ofthemutual recognition ofdivergent
environmental criteria, and(v)theprovision ofdeveloping countries withtechnical assistance, are
discussed inthereport.
15. Thesecond session oftheAHWG examined another UNCTAD report onTrade, Environment
andDevelopment, Aspects ofEstablishing Operating Eco-Labelling Programmes ,which builds onits
previous (above-mentioned) report. Itaddresses thetradeandenvironmental effects ofeco-labelling,
itsdevelopmental aspects (such asthespecial difficulties thatareencountered bysmall andmedium
sized enterprises incomplying withenvironmental standards), anumber ofsectoral issues5,aswell
theinterests ofdeveloping countries.
16. IntheNotepreparedbytheUNCTADSecretariatonUNCTADActivitiesonTrade,Environment
andDevelopment (1997), UNCTAD presents ageneral overview ofitsongoing andfuture work
5Thefollowing sectors areaddressed: pulpandpaper, textiles andclothing, andfootwear.WT/CTE/W/45
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programme intheareaofeco-labelling. Itstates thatitwillcontinue toclosely follow andreport
onrelevantdevelopmentsintheareaofeco-labelling,inparticularwithregardtothetrade,environmental
anddevelopmental effects ondeveloping countries, andonconcepts suchasequivalency andmutual
recognition. Itwillalsoexplore thepossibility ofmaking eco-labelling aneffective toolfortrade
expansion inenvironmentally friendly products from developing countries.
17. InFebruary 1997, UNCTAD 'sCommission onTrade inGoods andServices, andCommodities
hasdecided toconvene anExpert Meeting withthefollowing mandate: "toexamine theoperation,
andthepossible trade andinvestment impacts ofenvironmental management standards, particularly
theISO14000 series, ondeveloping countries, andtheidentification ofpossible opportunities andneeds
inthiscontext." Themeeting isscheduled tobeheldinGeneva, inOctober 1997.
18. UNCTAD isexpecting thepublication ofabookentitled Eco-Labelling andInternational Trade
inearly1997. Thebookcontains anumber ofpapers thataddress theconcerns ofdeveloping countries.
VI. THE UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME
Eco-labelling hasbeendiscussed bytwoExpert Group meetings convened byUNEP in1995
and1996. Tworecent papers produced byUNEP address theissues ofmutual recognition and
equivalency, andcriteria inenvironmental labelling. Duetoresource constraints, UNEP isnotplanning
further work oneco-labelling intheimmediate future.
19. In1995,UNEPconvenedanExpertGroupmeetingtodiscussissuesrelatedtotheenvironmental
criteria usedinawarding eco-labels, andtheirequivalency. Themeeting wasaccompanied withthe
UNEP Governing Council 'sendorsement ofUNEP 'swork oneco-labelling. TheGoverning Council
adopted decision GC18/40 inwhich itspecifically directed UNEP tocontinue itswork inthisarea.
20. In1996, asecond Expert Group meeting discussed theprinciples ofequivalency and
harmonization, therelationship between eco-labelling criteria, international traderulesandtheprinciples
ofenvironmental equivalency, aswellasthefuture work tobeundertaken byUNEP inthese areas.
21. Atthesecond Expert Group meeting, twoUNEP papers werepresented anddiscussed. They
include: Applying Principles ofEnvironmental Equivalence inAchieving Mutual Recognition of
Eco-labelling Schemes ;and, Criteria inEnvironmental Labelling, AComparative Analysis of
Environmental Criteria inSelected Eco-Labelling Schemes .
22. Thefirstpaper addresses theissue ofthemutual recognition ofeco-labelling schemes, and
examines thefollowing: (i)howproducts areselected forcoverage byeco-labelling schemes; (ii)the
degree oftransparency involved intheirdevelopment andimplementation; and(iii)theinstitutional
andprocedural issues thatwould beinvolved inestablishing asystem ofmutual recognition. Itprovides
anoverview ofthework ofdifferent organizations inthefieldofmutual recognition. Inaddition,
itdiscusses therelationship between international trade rules andmutual recognition, aswellaskey
issues tobeconsidered inthedevelopment ofinternational principles forenvironmental equivalency
andforthedevelopment ofeco-labelling criteria.
23. Thesecond paper presents acomparison oftheenvironmental criteria usedinanumber of
different eco-labelling schemes forsimilar product categories. Itexamines theenvironmental
characteristics ofthree products -paper, laundry detergents, andtextiles, andprovides anoverview
oftheenvironmental criteria usedinupto13eco-labelling schemes forthese product categories. The
paper highlights themajor underlying methodological assumptions thataremade inenvironmental
assessments ingeneral, andproduct-related life-cycle assessment inparticular.WT/CTE/W/45
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VII. UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION
UNIDO hasabroad mandate intheareaofeco-labelling. In1995 itconducted asurvey of
thetrade effects ofISOstandards ondeveloping countries, which itiscurrently expanding andupdating.
Theresults ofthemore recent survey areexpected in1997, andwillbethesubject ofdiscussion at
UNIDO 'snextExpert Group Meeting, which willtakeplace inSeptember 1997. UNIDO isplanning
toorganize aconference inthebeginning of1998todiscuss theresults ofthesurvey withrepresentatives
fromdeveloping countries andeconomies intransition, aswellasfromanumber oforganizations.
24. TheUNIDO General Conference Resolution onEnvironmentally Sustainable Industrial
Development (GC6/Res6) wasadopted in1995. TheResolution addresses theissueofeco-labelling.
Itrecognizes that"theapplication ofvarious eco-labelling schemes inseveral countries within
international markets mayposenon-tariff barriers ormarketing barriers toenterprises indeveloping
countries," butthateco-labelling alsohas"various positive effects", suchasits"enlightening and
educational effects forenvironmental programmes forconsumers".
25. TheResolution makes tworequests ofUNIDO 'sDirector-General which serve tooutline
UNIDO 'smandate intheareaofeco-labelling. IntheResolution, theGeneral Conference:
"3. Requests theDirector-General todevelop asuitable technical cooperation programme
forthe1996-1997 biennium aiming toprovide technical support totechnical service institutions
andstandards bodies indeveloping countries sothattheycould effectively apply relevant ISO
standards, including ISO9000 andISO14000 series ofstandards."; and
"5. RequeststheDirector-General,subjecttofutureinternationalagreementoneco-labelling
requirements, andinclose cooperation withthecompetent international bodies, inparticular
theWorld Trade Organization, toprovide assistance todeveloping countries toenable them
tosupport thenecessary adjustment ofnational industrial production andrelated services
totheinternationally agreed requirements."
26. IncooperationwiththeITC,in1995UNIDOconductedasurveyonthetradeeffectsofISO9000
and14000 standards in33countries, entitled Survey ofTrade Implications ofInternational Standards
forQualityandEnvironmentalManagementSystems(ISO9000/ISO14000Series).Developingcountries
andemerging economies weresurveyed inLatin America, theCaribbean, Africa, Asia, andEastern
Europe, withtheobjective ofassisting these countries, andtheirsmall andmedium sized enterprises
(SMEs) inparticular, ininvestigating theimpact ofstandards ontheiraccess tointernational markets.
27. Thesurvey reaches anumber ofconclusions ontheissue ofeco-labelling withrespect tothe
following: thedegree towhich theproliferation ofdifferent eco-labelling schemes affects themarket
access ofdeveloping countries, andtheextent towhich thesecountries believe thatharmonized standards
would address theproblems thattheycurrently face.
28. UNIDO isupdating its1995 survey andexpanding itscoverage to45countries (developing
andtransitional economies). Toperform thesurvey, questionnaires arebeing distributed totrade /
industry government departments, national standardizing bodies, certification andaccreditation bodies,
SMEs andlarger organizations. Itsresults areexpected in1997.WT/CTE/W/45
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VIII. THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATION
ISO'sTechnical Committee 207onEnvironmental Management isresponsible fordeveloping
environmental standards forthefollowing areas:
(i) Environmental Management Systems;
(ii) Environmental Auditing andRelated Environmental Investigations;
(iii) Environmental Labelling;
(iv) Environmental Performance Evaluation;
(v) LifeCycle Assessment; and
(vi) Terms andDefinitions.
Twosub-committees oftheCommittee 207arecurrently engaged inthepreparation ofstandards
intheareas ofEnvironmental Labelling andLifeCycle Assessment. Their standards willbediscussed
further atTechnical Committee 207'snextmeeting, which willtakeplace inJapan, inApril 1997.
(i) Environmental Labelling
29. ISO'ssub-committee 3(SC3) examines theissue ofEnvironmental Labelling. Itclassifies
eco-labels intothree categories:6
(i) TypeIenvironmentallabelsare"voluntary,multiplecriteria-basedthird-partypractitioner
programs thataward labels claiming overall environmental preference ofaproduct
within aparticular product category based onlifecycle considerations"7.
(ii) Type IIenvironmental labels consist of"informative environmental self-declaration
claims". Such claims aremade without third-party certification bymanufacturers,
importers, distributors, retailers oranyone elselikely tobenefit from them.
(iii) TypeIIIenvironmental labels are"quantified product information labels based upon
independent verification using preset indices".
30. SC3isworking onthedevelopment offivestandards under theISO14000 environmental series,
covering bothType I,IIandIIIeco-labels. They include thefollowing:
(i) ISO14020 Environmental Labels andDeclarations -Basic Principles;
(ii) ISO14021 Environmental Labels andDeclarations -Self-Declaration Claims -
Terms andDefinitions;
(iii) ISO14022 EnvironmentalLabelsandDeclarations-Self-DeclarationEnvironmental
Claims -Environmental Labelling Symbols;
(iv) ISO14023 EnvironmentalLabelsandDeclarations-Self-DeclarationEnvironmental
Claims -Testing &Verification Methodologies; and
(v) ISO14024 EnvironmentalLabelsandDeclarations-EnvironmentalLabellingType
I-Guiding Principles andProcedures.
6ISO. Business PlanofISO/TC 207/SC 3,Environmental Labelling, 1997, p.1-2.
7Programmes ofthisnature have already been established inCanada, Germany, Japan, theUnited States,
andtheNordic countries.WT/CTE/W/45
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31. ISOstandards passthrough anumber ofstages priortopublication. These include theWorking
Draft (WD), Committee Draft (CD), Draft International Standard (DIS), Final Draft International
Standard (FDIS), andapproval andpublication stages. AttheDISstage, standards aresubmitted to
ISOMembers foravote. AttheFDIS stage, thestandards thataresubmitted foravote, arealsomade
public.
32. ISO14020 setsoutanumber ofprinciples tobeadhered tointhedevelopment ofenvironmental
labels anddeclarations, suchasforinstance theprinciple thatlabels shallbeaccurate, verifiable, relevant
andnon-deceptive. Where other ISOstandards oneco-labelling provide more detailed guidance, that
guidance istobeusedinconjunction withtheprinciples ofISO14020. Allother ISOstandards on
eco-labelling areintended tobeconsistent withitsprinciples. ISO14020 isattheCDstage.
33. ISO14021dealswithTypeIIenvironmentallabelling.Itestablishesgeneralguidelinesregarding
environmental claims inrelation tothesupply ofgoods andservices, anddefines, andsetsrules for
theuseof,specific terms employed inenvironmental claims. ISO14021 isattheDISstage.
34. ISO14022 dealswithenvironmental symbols thatconvey self-declaration environmental claims.
Itestablishes general guidelines fortheuseofsymbols forproducts andservices. Italsodefines, and
setsrules fortheuseof,anumber ofspecific symbols usedinenvironmental claims. Thestandard
isattheCDstage.
35. ISO14023 covers testing andverification methodologies forenvironmental claims relating
toproducts, processes andservices, including those defined inISO14021, suchas"energy efficiency",
"recyclability" and"biodegradability". ISO14023 isattheWDstage.
36. ISO14024 contains guiding principles andpractices forcertification procedures forthe
development ofmultiple criteria-based, third-party environmental labelling programmes ofType I.
Itisintended toprovide areference document ensuring thecredibility andnon-discriminatory nature
ofeco-labelling programmes falling under thiscategory oflabels. ISO14024 isattheCDstage.
(ii) LifeCycle Assessment
37. ISO'ssub-committee5(SC5)examinestheissueofLifeCycleAssessment(LCA).Itiscurrently
working towards thedevelopment ofagroup ofpractical LCA toolsthatcanbeusedinproduct design
orredesign, environmental performance evaluation, environmental claims, eco-labelling schemes,
andproduct analysis byregulatory bodies.
38. Thedevelopment offourstandards iscurrently underway inSC5. These standards include
thefollowing:
(i) ISO14040 Environmental Management -LifeCycle Assessment -Principles and
Guidelines;
(ii) ISO14041 EnvironmentalManagement-LifeCycleAssessment-InventoryAnalysis;
(iii) ISO14042 EnvironmentalManagement-LifeCycleAssessment-LifeCycleImpact
Assessment; and
(iv) ISO14043 Environmental Management -LifeCycle Assessment- LifeCycle
Improvement Assessment.
39. ISO14040 establishes guidelines, general principles andpractices forconducting andreporting
onlifecycle assessment studies inaresponsible andconsistent manner. Itstates that:WT/CTE/W/45
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"LCA isasystematic toolofassessing theenvironmental impacts associated withaproduct
orservice system to:build aninventory ofinputs oroutputs; make aqualitative evaluation
ofthose inputs andoutputs; andidentify themost significant aspects ofthesystem
relative totheobjective ofthestudy. LCA considers theenvironmental impact along the
continuum ofaproduct 'slife(i.e.cradle-to-grave) fromrawmaterials acquisition toproduction,
useanddisposal. Thegeneral categories ofenvironmental impacts toconsider include resource
depletion, human health, andecological consequences"8.
40. ISO14040 iscurrently attheFDIS stage. Theremaining three standards arestillthesubject
ofdiscussion inSC5, andtheirobjectives arebeing crystallized. Atpresent, theyareallattheCD
stage.
8ISO/TC 207/SC5. Environmental Management -LifeCycle Assessment -Principles andGuidelines, 1995,
p.4.