The use of ecolabelling for raising environmental awareness among consumers and business in the Baltic countries and North West Russia – the case of the Nordic ecolabel (SWAN)

Survey on eco-labelling in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and North-West Russia: special focus on Nordic eco-label  Conference „Ecolabelling as an effective tool to achieve sustainable business success: Case of the Nordic Ecolabel“, December 2nd 2010, Vilnius, Lithuania

Conference “Eco-labelling as an effective tool to achieve sustainable business success: Case of the Nordic Eco-label”.
December 2, 2010, Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva, Konstitucijos ave. 20, Vilnius, Lithuania

Speeches & presentations

• Bo Harald Tillberg, Director of the Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Lithuania;Welcome speech;
• Mr. Paulius Lukauskas, Managing Director, Enterprise Lithuania;
• Nordic eco-label enhancing sustainable consumption and production
• Mr. Bjorn-Erik Lonn, the Nordic Eco-labelling Board;Survey on eco-labelling among businessmen in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and North-West Russia
• Mr. Janar Sutt, Swedish Trade Council;
  Current status and future plans for eco-labelling in Estonia
• Ms. Hedi Leomar, Senior Specialist of Environmental Information Centre, Estonia;
  Current status and future plans for eco-labelling in Lithuania
• Ms. Marytė Kuodytė, Senior Specialist of Environmental Protection Agency, Lithuania;
  Current status and future plans for eco-labelling in Russia
• Mr. Semen Gordyshevskiy, President of St. Petersburg Ecological Union;Consumer demand for eco-labelled products
• Ms. Zita Ceponyte, President of Lithuanian Consumer Institute;
  How to apply for an eco-label?
• Mr. Bjorn-Erik Lonn, the Nordic Eco-labelling Board;Presentations of companies using eco-labels and comments of business organisations
• Ms. Mereli Kivi, printing house Ecoprint, Estonia;
• Mr. Saulius Rubėnas, AB „Utenos trikotažo“ rinkodaros ir pardavimų direktorius;
• Mr. Renaldas Rimavičius, Project Coordinator of Lithuanian Green Movement on “Green Key“ programme;
• Ms. Arūnė Zuzevičienė, Marketing Manager of Radisson Blu Lietuva hotel;
• Mr. Konstantinas Iljasevičius, Deputy Head of Environmental Committee of Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists;Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Business and Industry – a tool for sustainable cooperation
• Mr. Karlis Valters, Adviser for the Nordic-Baltic mobility programme for business and industry, NCM Office in Latvia

Background

Consumers in the Baltic countries and in North West Russia are steadily getting more environmentally-conscious and they become interested in ecolabelled products. Environmentally friendly consumer habits and issues of sustainable development are high on the political agendas in the Baltic countries, as well as in Russia. At the same time the public and business community is still lacking information about ecolabelling. The Nordic Ecolabel (Swan) is one of the best known Nordic brands, and at the same time one of the best-known ecolabels in Europe, so experience of the Nordic Ecolabelling offices would be of immense value for the Baltic countries and North West Russia. During the project activities the target groups will be presented with information about ecolabelling, the Nordic Ecolabel, as well as further steps for application of the Nordic Ecolabel in this region will be discussed.

Objectives of the project

• To increase environmental awareness among the public and businesses in the Baltic countries and North West Russia by introducing the Nordic Ecolabel as a successful example;
• To stimulate the interest for import of Swan-labelled Nordic products to the Baltic countries and North West Russia, and by this to contribute to better environment in the Baltic Sea Region;
• To increase the interest for businesses in the Baltic countries and North West Russia to label their products with Nordic Ecolabel and by this to increase their competitiveness in the Nordic market;
• To increase contacts between public servants in the Nordic, Baltic countries and North West Russia on ecolabeling;
• To investigate and evaluate the possibilities of representation of Nordic Ecolabel labeling services in the Baltic countries and North West Russia.

Target group

The main target groups of the project are officials, businesses and NGOs involved in ecolabelling, and consumption in the Baltic countries and North West Russia.

Activities

1. Survey on business awareness about ecolabelling in the Baltic countries and North West Russia.
2. Meetings of project group for representation of Nordic Ecolabel in the Baltic countries and North West Russia.
3. Presentation of Nordic Ecolabel at Business &Trade fairs & local conferences in the Baltic countries and North West Russia.
4. Seminars (workshops) about the ecolabelling in the Baltic countries and North West Russia
5. Final conference of the project.

Partners

• Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Lithuania (Coordinating partner)
• Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Estonia
• Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Latvia
• Nordic Council of Ministers Information Office in St. Petersburg
• Environmental Protection Agency under the Ministry of Environment in Lithuania
• Estonian Environment Information Centre under the Ministry of Environment in Estonia
• Latvian “Vides Projekti State Ltd”
• St.Petersburg Ecological Union (NGO)
• “Ecolabelling Sweden”
• Nordic Ecolabelling Board

More information about the Nordic Ecolabel:

www.nordic-ecolabel.org

Denmark

Ecolabelling Denmark
Fonden Dansk Standard
Kollegievej 6
DK-2920 Charlottenlund
Denmark
Telephone +45 72300450
Fax. +45 72300451
E-mail: info@ecolabel.dk
www.ecolabel.dk

Finland

SFS Ecolabelling
Box 130
FI-00101 Helsinki, Finland
Telephone +358 91499331
Fax. +358 914993320
E-mail: joutsen@sfs.fi
www.ecolabel.fi

Iceland

Ecolabelling Iceland
Umhverfisstofnun
Suðurlandsbraut 24
IS-108 Reykjavik, Iceland
Telephone +354 5912000
Fax. +354 5912020
E-mail: svanurinn@ust.is
www.svanurinn.is

Norway

Ecolabelling Norway
Tordenskiolds gate 6 B
NO-0160 Oslo, Norway
Telephone +47 24144600
Fax. +47 24144601
E-mail: info@ecolabel.no
www.ecolabel.no

Sweden

Ecolabelling Sweden
SE-118 80 Stockholm, Sweden
Telephone +46 8 55552400
Fax. +46 8 55552401
E-mail: svanen@ecolabel.se
www.ecolabel.se

Lithuania

Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Lithuania
Didzioji 5
LT-01128 Vilnius, Lithuania
Telephone +370 5 2122211
Fax. +370 5 212 24 23
E-mail: info@norden.lt
www.norden.lt

Environmental Protection Agency
Juozapavičiaus st. 9
LT-09311, Vilnius, Lithuania
Telephone: +370 5 266 2800
Fax. +370 5 266 2800
E-mail: aaa@aaa.am.lt
http://aaa.am.lt