CBCGDF-BASE: Green Products should be "Biodiversity-Friendly" | National Standard "General Rules for Evaluation of Green Products" (Draft for Comments)

 

The National Technical Committee for Environmental Management Standardization issued a notice on October 18, 2023 on soliciting opinions on the national standard "General Rules for Evaluation of Green Products" (Draft for Comments), in order to further improve the content of the standard and to widely solicit opinions from all relevant parties. China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) BIOLOGY AND SCIENCE ETHICS (BASE) responded positively to the call, and after a serious study & discussion, submitted five suggestions for reference in its scientific decision-making. The following is [Recommendation I].

Recommendation I: The definition of green products should include "biodiversity-friendly".

[Reason 1]: Our leaders once clearly proposed that "we should promote green development through biodiversity conservation, and accelerate the promotion of green transformation of development and lifestyle." The definition of "green" should not only be defined in terms of "low carbon" and resource consumption, but should also take biodiversity into account in a more comprehensive way. The current definition in the Draft is lacking in this regard.

The reason why "biodiversity-friendly" should be part of the definition of "green products" is that the conservation and promotion of biodiversity is essential to achieving truly sustainable development. Biodiversity-friendly products do not only focus on efficient use of resources and energy efficiency, but also on reducing negative impacts on ecosystems and species. This means taking into account the protection of ecosystems in the design, production and use of products, avoiding the destruction of habitats, reducing threats to wildlife and adopting sustainable sourcing and production practices. By incorporating "biodiversity-friendly" into the definition of "green products", it is possible to ensure that products have a positive impact on biodiversity throughout their life cycle and contribute to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly society. Such a definition will help guide companies and consumers to work together to protect the Earth's ecosystem and achieve a global ecological balance.

[Negative case]

For example, palm oil is a common ingredient in many foods, cosmetics and cleaning products. However, in order to meet the global demand for palm oil, large amounts of tropical rainforest have been cut down, leading to ecosystem destruction and loss of wildlife habitat. This process poses a direct threat to many species, such as orangutans, tigers and rhinoceroses, as they lose the environment in which they can survive and reproduce. There have been many such criticisms in international public opinion.

[Positive examples]

1) Palm oil green product alternatives. Due to the unfriendly impact of palm oil on biodiversity, some companies have started to introduce green products that replace palm oil with sustainable raw materials. For example, some brands produce food and personal care products made with other vegetable oils or introduce sustainable palm oil. Such alternatives help to reduce development pressure on tropical rainforests, thereby protecting habitats and biodiversity.

2) Many organic agricultural products that are "biodiversity friendly" are also great examples. For example, to minimize negative impacts on biodiversity, more and more agribusinesses are choosing to adopt organic farming practices. Instead of using chemical fertilizers and pesticides, organic agricultural products are often grown using more environmentally friendly methods that protect the soil and water. Such green products help maintain richer ecosystems around farmland and promote an ecological balance that naturally controls pests, thus preserving the biodiversity of the surrounding area. By choosing organic produce, consumers can support more sustainable agricultural practices and reduce pressure on the ecosystem.

[Reason 2]: Measures that favor the fight against climate change are not always biodiversity friendly, and sometimes even biodiversity destructive. Therefore, synergistic governance of climate change response and biodiversity conservation should be promoted. Currently, in the preparation instructions of the Draft, we can see that the document only emphasizes the response to climate change. True synergistic governance needs to take biodiversity into account. China has just hosted the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and awareness of synergistic governance of biodiversity and climate change has gradually increased over the past few years. On January 11, 2021, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued the "Guidance on the Integration and Enhancement of Work Related to Responding to Climate Change and Ecological Environmental Protection" (Document No. 4 of the Environmental Consolidation [2021]), which also is a reflection of this trend.

Therefore, on the basis of the first edition of 2017, we suggest that the requirements for biodiversity conservation should be adequately incorporated into the second edition of the General Principles for Green Product Evaluation.

(Stay tuned for more recommendations in the series to follow.)

(Please note that this article is based on machine translation and is for reference only.)

 

Editor: Samantha

Contact: V10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776

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