THE GREEN IMPACT INDEX CONSORTIUM IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE PUBLICATION OF AFNOR SPEC 2215 BY AFNOR:
17 July 2023
The first guide to displaying the environmental and societal impact of cosmetics, food supplements, family health and wellness products, available to all companies, from SMEs to major international groups.
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- A methodology developed under the aegis of AFNOR by 120 participants from the Green Impact Index Consortium and other organizations, which applies to cosmetic products as well as food supplements, natural health products and generally, to all family health and wellness products (with the exception of medicines). - Like the Nutriscore, this methodology will enable consumers to choose their cosmetics and wellness products based on scores from A to E with full knowledge of what goes into the scores. |
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June 30, 2023 – A major first for the cosmetics, perfume and nutraceuticals sectors: in just 9 months, 120 participants from 26 different organizations (from VSEs to major international groups, as well as suppliers, independent consultancies and an academic body), including members of the Green Impact Index Consortium, have worked collectively under the aegis of AFNOR to co-construct a methodology for calculating and displaying the environmental and societal impact of cosmetics, wellness and family health products. This tool is designed for all companies, from SMEs to large international groups.
This reference document is a perfect illustration of what collective intelligence can produce in the service of the common good. It now enables all manufacturers of finished products to develop products that are ecologically and societally responsible in their design, based on common criteria. I am delighted to announce that the first Green Impact Index Consortium General Constitutive Meeting was held on June 26. This is a key step in this ambitious and unifying project. We can all take action to reduce the environmental and societal impact of our organizations by making the transition through the products we sell.
Since 2009, Decathlon has been working on an assessment of the environmental impact of its products, using the most advanced calculation methods at the European level. These quantitative assessment methods have enabled us to display the environmental impact of our textile and footwear products. For cosmetics, we chose to join the Green Impact Index Consortium in order to utilize a pragmatic, comparable method, co-constructed by different market players, leading to the quantitative and qualitative assessment of the environmental impact of our products.
The Green Impact Index Consortium's active work on environmental labeling methodology under the aegis of AFNOR is part of a voluntary initiative within the framework of the European Green Deal: developing environmental labeling in the cosmetics, perfume and nutraceuticals sectors.
In 9 months of work, the participants succeeded in pooling their strengths to overcome the difficulties of finding applicable and measurable criteria on the basis of consensus. This initial methodological compendium could serve as a contribution to the establishment of a future standard, if a new, broader agreement is reached with all the players in the sector.
What is methodology?
From the outset, the 120 participants set themselves the goal of developing a methodology that would meet three objectives:
- Provide consumers with reliable and transparent information on the quantification of the environmental (e.g., packaging, formulation, etc.) and societal (e.g., fair trade, brand commitments, etc.) impacts of products.
- Provide economic players with a real lever for progress in the ecologically and societally responsible design of products.
- Enable the display of this label at a cost that is economically feasible for companies of all sizes.
To achieve this, they used existing environmental and societal labeling methods, such as the Green Impact Index launched by Pierre Fabre Laboratories, Technicoflor's FlorIndex, the Rocher Group's ecosocioconsoscore, as well as the PEF (Product Environmental Footprint) developed by the European Commission, with a view to the Green Claims Directive, which aims to combat the proliferation of greenwashing labels. They also drew on lessons learned from previous experiments with environmental labeling in other sectors, such as Planet Score, to understand the need to supplement impact calculations derived from product Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).
What biases are present in the development of this methodology?
- Develop a cross-functional approach to different categories of finished products, from cosmetics to family health products.
- Devise a method adapted to companies of all sizes, from the microbusiness to the largest international group, covering both environmental and societal issues.
- Base the method on benchmarks, labels and standards, enabling companies to capitalize on the efforts they have already made and the labels and certifications they have obtained.
- Take into account current and forthcoming French and European legislation on eco-design, the circular economy and environmental labeling.
- Co-construct a methodology with all players in the value chain.
- Find the best compromise between Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and environmental and social indicators.
- Fully integrate biodiversity issues.
- Take into account the specific nature of natural-origin and organic products.
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- The "Display of the environmental and societal impact of cosmetics, food supplements, wellness and family health products" methodology is now available for sale to all companies in the cosmetics, perfume and nutraceutical sectors, from SMEs to international groups, here: :https://www.boutique.afnor.org/fr-fr/norme/afnor-spec-2215/affichage-de-limpact-environnemental-et-societal-des-produits-cosmetiques-d/fa205627/347951 - The Green Impact Index environmental and societal score will be displayed with this logo 
Consumers will have access to information on brand websites and communication, in digital format. - Organizations wishing to join the Green Impact Index Consortium can send an e-mail to contact@greenimpactinde |
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What is AFNOR Spec?
An AFNOR Spec is a rapidly available framework document applied on a voluntary basis. In addition to its traditional range of voluntary standards, AFNOR has joined forces with other international organizations to create a fast-track procedure for obtaining a framework document: AFNOR Spec. This reference document is drawn up under the supervision of AFNOR, with a small but representative round table, and fewer iterations. It is arrived at by consensus with the various stakeholders. This is the first stage in the standardization process. With the possibility of moving naturally and easily towards a French and/or international standard.
What is Consortium Green Impact Index?
The Green Impact Index Consortium is an association created under the French law of 1901 by 21 organizations (companies, associations and federations) from the cosmetics and family health sectors, with the goal of:
- Communicating the Green Impact Index to businesses and consumers.
- Raising consumer awareness of the environmental and societal impact of products.
- Raising awareness among companies in the sector to improve the ecologically and societally responsible design of the products they manufacture.
- Implementing and improving the methodology and monitoring its use.
What are the 21 founding members of the association?
ARKOPHARMA
LABORATOIRE D’ODONTO STOMATOLOGIE THERMALE (Buccotherm)
COSMEBIO
COSMED
DISTRINAT (Groupe Léa Nature)
DECATHLON
DSM NUTRITIONAL PRODUCTS FRANCE
DURACONSULT
GREEN FAMILY
GROUPE BERKEM
LABORATOIRES DE BIOLOGIE VEGETALE YVES ROCHER (Groupe Rocher)
LABORATOIRE DE DERMOCOSMETIQUE ACTIVE DOCTEUR PIERRE RICAUD (Groupe Rocher)
HAVEA GROUP
LABORATOIRES NATESCIENCE (Groupe Léa Nature)
POLE EUROPEEN INNOVATION ALIMENTATION BIEN-ETRE NATURALITE (Innov alliance)
LA DRÔME PROVENCALE
PHYTEMA LABORATOIRE
PIERRE FABR MEDICAMENT (Groupe Pierre Fabre)
PIERRE FABRE DERMOCOSMETIQUE (Groupe Pierre Fabre)
SYNADIET
TECHNICOFLOR