Ecolabels of green products

Shipping

Current status of implementation and existing gaps

In the last few years, the shipping industry has relied only on voluntary ecolabel labels, such as the Environmental Ship Index and the Clean Shipping Index. However, more recently, the industry has been moving to a more regulated structure with the IMO’s new indices. These could prove beneficial in tracking and reducing emissions from the shipping sector.

Examples and initiatives

The IMO has designed indicators to classify the emission performance of ships through different indicators (e.g. Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index and Carbon Intensity Indicator). Poorly performing ships will have to submit plans to improve their ratings.

Aviation

Current status of implementation and existing gaps

An airline ecolabel can be seen as an important tool for influencing consumer behaviour and encouraging airlines to improve environmental performance.

Examples and initiatives

The EU has introduced a voluntary emissions label programme for flights operating within the EU or departing from the EU. The label enables passengers to view the estimated greenhouse gas emissions associated with a flight, allowing them to make informed decisions about booking.

Iron and steel

Current status of implementation and existing gaps

Several companies have begun labelling and branding products based on their own definitions of low-carbon steel.

Examples and initiatives

Baosteel’s BeyondECO standard, Arcelor Mittal’s low-carbon emissions global standard and SSAB’s steel standard are a few examples available in the market (IEA, IRENA and UNCCHLC, 2023; Ali Hasanbeigi and Adam Sibal, 2023).

Chemical and petrochemical

Current status of implementation and existing gaps

Emissions labelling for chemicals is inherently complex because chemicals often serve dual roles, as intermediate inputs in various production chains and as fuels. Their production involves multiple, often energy-intensive processes with varied feedstocks and end-uses, making it difficult to assign consistent emissions values. For information on ammonia and methanol, refer to Product definitions, standards, certification schemes and emission accounting frameworks; for information on fuels, refer to the shipping and aviation sectors.

Examples and initiatives

For information on ammonia and methanol, refer to Product definitions, standards, certification schemes and emission accounting frameworks; for information on fuels, refer to the shipping and aviation sectors.

Cement

Current status of implementation and existing gaps

Ecolabelling of building material aims to provide information about the environmental effects caused by the production or use of a material in the construction industry. Environmental product declarations are also becoming a mainstream tool for verifying and measuring the environmental impact of cement; they are used widely in Australia, Europe and North America. Multiple competing ecolabels and certification systems can limit market alignment and the lead to the absence of a single, globally accepted standard for low-carbon cement which can complicate international trade and procurement (IEA, 2025c).

Examples and initiatives

The GCCA launched an environmental product declaration tool, making it easier for cement producers to generate product-specific carbon footprints. The Concrete Sustainability Council provides responsible sourcing certification, grading cement and concrete products based on their sustainability performance (The Breakthrough Agenda Report, 2023).

Enablers

Enablers (39)