Introduction
To support more environmentally and socially friendly consumption and production various product labelling schemes have been introduced offering information about environmental, social or other issues. This four years PhD project investigates how such labelling schemes try to shape the production and consumption system; from raw material production at one end of the system to consumption and waste at the other and what makes them more or less effective in doing so. The study focuses on the EU eco-, EU energy, Marine Stewardship Council and Fair Trade label.
It is often claimed that the growing number of existing labelling schemes has caused confusion for both producers and consumers. To reduce this confusion there have been calls to condense them into some form of overarching, higher level meta scheme which communicates the sustainability of a product in a simplified form. Next to investigating the effectiveness of existing labelling schemes this study also looks at the prospects for an effective implementation of such an overarching scheme.
Research Process
The research is based on interviews with large and small scale retailers, manufacturers, primary producers and civil societal organisations who have been involved in either the implementation of an overarching sustainability information system or the EU eco-, EU energy, Fair Trade or Marine Stewardship Council label.
Interview Process
The interviews aim to gather experience with the four studied labelling schemes and 'actors and factors' that have influenced their effectiveness. In addition interviewees are invited to imagine and give their opinion on the implementation of some form of overarching sustainability meta labelling scheme and potential problems related.
The interviews are conducted on a semi structured basis. This means that the interviewer introduces quite broad questions to encourage the interviewee to talk freely of their thoughts and experiences, and offer any examples to support their views. Interviewees are prompted or asked specific questions if further detail on a particular topic is needed. This method is designed to allow the interviewee to identify the most important aspects, rather than the researcher imposing preconceived ideas.
Confidentiality
The outputs of the research will be largely academic in nature (e.g. academic journals). The PhD is funded by the Sustainable Consumption Institute (http://www.sci.manchester.ac.uk), which is an interdisciplinary University of Manchester research centre. All Sustainable Consumption Institute research is conducted under the ethical protocols governing university research activities. Confidentiality is a cornerstone of the ethical approach to research and responses to the questions will remain anonymous in any analysis and reporting of the research. No participant is obliged to engage in the research, or to answer any questions they do not want to answer. Participants can withdraw from the process at any point without explanation.
Duration of the project
PhD project: September 2008 till August 2012
Interview process: January 2011 till July 2011
If you feel you or your organisations would be able to support this project by participating in an interview please contact the researcher at below email address.
Contact Details
Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
Email: leonie.dendler@postgrad.mbs.ac.uk
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