The New Zealand Green Building Council’s new and improved Green Star has launched in Aotearoa – but what does that mean for manufacturers and suppliers?
Eco Choice Aotearoa has put together a quick guide to help you get your head around the changes.
What is the Responsible Product Framework?
The Responsible Product Framework is a key component of the Green Star rating system. The Framework, sets out five assessment categories for product certification schemes (like Eco Choice Aotearoa) to be scored against.
What is a Responsible Product Value (RPV)?
An RPV is the ‘score’ given to an initiative after assessment against the Responsible Product Framework.
What is a Responsible Product?
NZGBC & Green Building Council of Australia define a Responsible Product as a product or material that has a Responsible Product Value (RPV) issued by a recognised certification body i.e. goods certified by Eco Choice Aotearoa.
What is Eco Choice Aotearoa’s RPV?
GBCA is responsible for assessing and scoring ecolabels and other certification schemes. Eco Choice Aotearoa is in the process of updating all relevant standards to align with the Responsible Product Framework, with the aim of yielding the highest possible RPV for each one.
GBCA is experiencing significant delays in the assessment process, due to the large number of certification bodies wishing to take part in the initiative. Consequently, several Eco Choice Aotearoa product standards are still awaiting scoring.
Why are some product standards scoring low on the Responsible Product Calculator?
GBCA is continuing to update the calculator, and some of Eco Choice Aotearoa’s product standards are yet to be assessed against the new Framework.
Eco Choice Aotearoa hopes all product standards will have updated scoring by the end of 2024.
What changes are you making to align with the Responsible Product Framework?
The ecolabel is updating its standards to include a stronger emphasis on embodied carbon, criteria around human rights and modern slavery, protecting and regenerating biodiversity.
Before each standard is finalised, it is uploaded to the Eco Choice website for 60 days for public consultation. If you would like to be notified about the opportunity to provide feedback, please sign-up to our newsletter.
What about Design and As Built?
The Responsible Product Framework will eventually replace Design and As Built (due to be retired in August 2025).
In the meantime, NZGBC will continue to recognise both programmes.
Under Design and As Built, Eco Choice Aotearoa is still recognised as a Level A certification and eligible for maximum Green Star (3) and Home Star (2) credits.
Is it a case of more certifications = more points for my product?
Not necessarily. If you have multiple certifications, with overlapping criteria, it will only be counted once.
However, NZGBC and GBCA are incentivising manufacturers and suppliers to pursue both an ecolabel and an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).
Eco Choice Aotearoa is well aware of the time, effort and costs involved with pursuing multiple verifications, so has partnered with the awesome folk at Edge Impact to streamline the process.
You can now use data collected during Eco Choice Aotearoa certification process, to populate your EPD. Get in touch if you’d like to find out more!
How can RPVs help me achieve Green Star credits?
For more information on the Responsible Products Framework, visit the GBCA website here. You can also reach out to the team at the New Zealand Green Building Council.
