Pursuant to what we have reported earlier (please refer to the e-mails in trail), the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (“Ministry”) has notified the Ecomark Rules, 2024 (“Rules”) with immediate effect. The Rules specify the criteria to grant Ecomark certification to products that meet specified environmental criteria with respect to resource consumption and environmental impacts, in particular the impact on climate change, impact on nature and biodiversity energy consumption, generation of waste, emissions to all environmental media, pollution through physical effects and use and release of hazardous substances.
Key Highlights:
- Criteria for grant of Ecomark certification are given under First Schedule of the Principal Rules which provides different criteria for different types of products.
- It provides detailed procedure to be followed for grant and renewal of Ecomark certification which complies the conditions which is to be followed for different types of products.
- It specifies that the Ecomark certification granted will be valid for a period of 3 years.
- It also provides for submission of annual report by the holder of Ecomark certification to the Central Pollution Control Board (“CPCB”), the report to be submitted on or before 31st May of each year.
- Affixation of Ecomark certification label on such product has been made mandatory under the Rules, no person will use Ecomark certification on any product unless the mark has been granted by the authority.
- Further, it provides for making applications for Ecomark certification and for submission of annual reports by the holder of the Ecomark certification on the portal which will be developed by CPCB.
- The Rules provide that the entities having qualification and experience in the field of environment and matters relating to Ecomark certification will be registered as Verifiers by CPCB for the purposes of verification of the products for the grant of Ecomark certification and its renewal.
- The holder of Ecomark certification must allow CPCB or the registered agencies to undertake such inspection and verification as may be considered necessary for ensuring compliance with the conditions under these Rules.
A copy of the Principal Rules is attached herewith for ease of reference.
Source: Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change
