Retailers and brands: Help shape the direction of future policy and guidance on the design and implementation of ecolabels. Scroll down to find out more…

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) have commissioned Verian to conduct research on how to best enable consumers, businesses and industry to make ‘green choices’ and choose the most sustainable option from a range of products. Ecolabels are any environmental information shown at the point of decision making that informs the decision-maker about the environmental qualities of a good, product, or service. They can help consumers make informed decisions, and support businesses to measure and communicate their environmental credentials, as laid out in the UK Government’s Powering Up Britain: Net Zero Growth Plan (2023) strategy.

The overall aim of the research is to understand how ecolabelling could best be implemented within different groups of goods/services, so that ecolabels are as effective as possible for consumers and are as practicable as possible for businesses.  This will include exploring the potential for designing and implementing a universal ecolabel.

Have your say

This is a chance for you to help shape the direction of future policy and guidance on the design and implementation of ecolabels. It will also be an opportunity to feedback on the specific barriers and motivations for adopting ecolabels within your organisation/sector.

Verian would like to hear from decision-makers with relevant knowledge of sustainability and/or labelling issues in the context of their business. The company anticipates this will vary according to individual business but, ideally, they are looking for the following:

• Micro/small businesses: Business owner
• Bigger SMEs/Large enterprises: Operations Director/Head of Supply Chain/Head of Sustainability/ etc.

This research aims to understand and explore the following:

• Sector/organisational attitudes to ecolabelling
• Experiences and expectations of adopting ecolabelling
• Perceptions of the feasibility and impact of adopting ecolabelling
• Feedback on potential designs, metrics, and presentations of ecolabels

As a thank you for taking part in this research, you will receive £75, which you can accept, refuse or donate to charity, if you wish.

How to get involved

If you fit the description of role and responsibilities mentioned and are interested in getting involved, please email Marios Zampetis at ecolabels@veriangroup.com to express your interest. Marios will be able to answer any questions about the content and logistics of the research.

If you have any questions about the authenticity or purpose of the research, please let Marios know and we can put you in touch with relevant people at DESNZ and Defra.

What happens next

Once you have expressed an interest, the research team will be in contact to arrange a time to speak with you. The research session will be conducted online via Zoom or MS Teams in either a 60-minute video interview or a 90-minute focus group, at a time convenient for you, in August/September.   

Confidentiality/Ethics

This research is completely voluntary and will be conducted in accordance with the Market Research Society Code of Conduct Code of Conduct | Market Research Society (mrs.org.uk). Verian is independent from DESNZ and Defra and your information will be used for research purposes only. Verian will not pass your personal details on to anyone outside of the core research team (at Verian) and your name and organisation will not be used in the reporting for this project.