Govt should review Ecomark scheme: CAG
Noting the dismal response to the 20-year-old Ecomark scheme under which products are classified as eco-friendly, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has asked the government to review it so that it is more receptive to manufactures.
Of the 17 product categories marked as “green”, only 15 firms have obtained licences under three categories in the country.
The CAG has suggested inclusion of more products and monitoring adherence to environmental standards for classifying products as environmentally-friendly.
“The (environment) ministry should also carry out environmental impact studies of such products,” said the CAG in its recent report titled, “Waste Management in India”.
It compared its progress to similar schemes floated in countries like Japan, Norway and Iceland besides Denmark where a large number of manufacturers have chosen environment-friendly products.
“Japan’s Eco Mark which was introduced in 1989 as a seal of programme that aims to spread information on the environment effects of products and to encourage consumers to choose environment friendly products has been awarded to 5,176 items under 64 product categories,” the report said.
Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Denmark under their “The Nordic Swan” plan introduced in 1989 have developed 60 product categorised and awarded the label to over 1,200 products. Similarly, Taiwan under its Green Mark Programme has 41 product categories with 451 products already awarded the eco-label.
However, in India, the government admitted that the Ecomark products were not being widely used.
Though the Indian environment ministry claimed that it had involved the industry as well undertaken mass awareness activities for promotion and acceptance of the scheme, it failed to produce revenue results before the CAG.
“The effectiveness of the Ecomark scheme could not be evaluated by audit as the ministry did not produce the revenue records to the working of the Ecomark scheme,” the report said.
Further it was evaluated that neither the environment ministry nor the Central Pollution Control Board have been able to evaluate the impact of these products from time to time to ensure that there is continued adherence to the laid down standards.
Voluntary in nature, the manufacturers have to pay prescribed licence fee to BIS for certification and use of the Ecomark along with the ISI Mark.
An inter-ministerial panel known as ‘Steering Committee’ determines the categories of products which need to be brought under the purview of the scheme, while BIS translates the product specific specifications into India Standards to be followed by the licensee.