Taiwan-Japan Eco-Label Mutual Recognition Expected by September to Boost Green Market Access

Central News Agency reports that targeting green procurement opportunities in Japan, Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) announced today that Taiwan and Japan are expected to achieve substantive mutual recognition of environmental and eco-labels by September 2024. This will greatly simplify duplicate testing procedures and reduce costs, facilitating Taiwanese companies with supply chain potential to enter the Japanese market.

The EPA stated that Taiwan's Green Mark will be mutually recognized with Japan's Eco Mark through the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN) this year. Additionally, Taiwan plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on label cooperation with the U.S.-based Global Electronics Council (GEC).

Hung Shu-hsing, Director-General of the EPA's Department of Integrated Planning, explained that Taiwan and Japan signed an MoU on environmental label cooperation at the end of last year. This year, the collaboration will advance to substantive mutual recognition, eliminating redundant verification processes and cutting testing costs for businesses on both sides. This move aims to open the door to Japan's green procurement market, with September 2024 set as the target for implementation.

Hung told the Central News Agency that the annual value of green procurement of imaging and information products from Taiwan to Japan reaches up to NT$14 billion. Mutual recognition will help Taiwanese enterprises with product advantages and international supply chain potential better access the Japanese market.

In addition to Japan, Taiwan is also negotiating an MoU with the United States to link its Green Mark with the U.S. EPEAT certification, supporting industrial decarbonization and international market participation. A final agreement is also expected by September 2024.

The EPA explained that EPEAT is a green certification system for IT and electronic products, assessing products across their lifecycle and awarding Gold, Silver, or Bronze ratings. Hung noted that Taiwan is currently evaluating a system where obtaining the Green Mark would grant partial credit in EPEAT assessments. While full equivalence may not be established, partial recognition is being considered. (Edited by Yang Sheng-ju)