FloriPEFCR provides uniform rules in environmental footprint calculations
July 18, 2023
Sustainability: it remains a difficult and abstract concept for many people, also in the floriculture sector. Which flowers or plants are better for the environment?
“A considerable need has emerged for a uniform calculation method for the sector that is reliable, verifiable and comparable” says Albert Haasnoot, programme manager for Sustainable Development & Quality at Royal FloraHolland. Albert is the point of contact for the European FloriPEFCR project on behalf of a consortium of international floriculture sector organisations.
A single standard
“Ten years ago, the European Commission launched the PEFCR – the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules. Its aim is to clarify the environmental impact of products in a broad sense – not only of flowers and plants, but also of products ranging from animal feed to computers. The methodology for floriculture, in particular the FloriPEFCR, was launched in 2020 and is based on its predecessor, which at the time was still known as Horti Footprint,” explains Albert.
A consortium of companies, international sector organisations - such as Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI) and Union Fleurs - and Wageningen University has set to work on drafting European calculation rules to determine the environmental footprint of ornamental plants or flowers. The intention is that together, those rules will then become the industry standard for the floriculture sector. The assessment takes 16 environmental indicators into account, such as climate change, the use of fossil fuels, eco-toxicity and water and land use.
The objective: to gain insight and reduce environmental impact
“The idea is to understand where exactly that environmental impact applies for each product,” continues Albert. “Often these are gas-fired products from a greenhouse, or products that are transported by air. So, the European Commission is basically saying to companies: know where your impact is and where you could improve.”
“The FloriPEFCR methodology will prevent greenwashing by companies and ensure a level playing field,as the results will be reliable and comparable. Our aim is to show in an honest way what environmental impact a product has. Ultimately, the goal is to gain insight so that we can reduce the environmental impact of floriculture. As part of that process, we are working with the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI), which already operates a basket of sustainability certificates. So, it is a chain-wide approach.”
For growers
Growers can see how they are doing compared to their peers. The idea is that ultimately a fair comparison can still be made, as one product will score well on one part and less so on another. Those items are then added together, resulting in an overall score.
It is inevitable that products with different scores will emerge from the comparison. Albert: “Think of it as a team of footballers. Not all of them will share the same strengths or have the same characteristics, but together, they still form a team, or an assortment of flowers or plants in this case.”
For buyers
A clear standard will be beneficial for buyers, he continues. “Soon, it will become easier to select products in Floriday, for example, not only by length or by colour, but also by footprint. It is worth noting that buyers are already receiving these types of requests from the retail market, thus from their customers. They are being asked to state what carbon footprint a particular flower has. That will form part of the FloriPEFCR in the near future.”
Visible in shops from 2025 onwards
How long will it be until the sustainability score is visible in shops? Albert: “Right now, I'm very optimistic. I expect that the final version of the FloriPEFCR will appear on the European Commission's website by the end of this year. This will be followed by a process to approve the tools currently being developed to make FloriPEFCR easier to use, even for non-experts. After that, we will be able to provide information about the actual classification. My prediction is that European consumers may start to see some form of product score in shops from 2025 onwards.”
Read more:
• FloriPEFCR: the new standard method for environmental footprint calculations
• FloriPEFCR (on Wageningen University & Research website)
If you have any questions about the FloriPEFCR, please get in touch with our Customer Contact Centre.
“A considerable need has emerged for a uniform calculation method for the sector that is reliable, verifiable and comparable” says Albert Haasnoot, programme manager for Sustainable Development & Quality at Royal FloraHolland. Albert is the point of contact for the European FloriPEFCR project on behalf of a consortium of international floriculture sector organisations.
A single standard
“Ten years ago, the European Commission launched the PEFCR – the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules. Its aim is to clarify the environmental impact of products in a broad sense – not only of flowers and plants, but also of products ranging from animal feed to computers. The methodology for floriculture, in particular the FloriPEFCR, was launched in 2020 and is based on its predecessor, which at the time was still known as Horti Footprint,” explains Albert.
A consortium of companies, international sector organisations - such as Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI) and Union Fleurs - and Wageningen University has set to work on drafting European calculation rules to determine the environmental footprint of ornamental plants or flowers. The intention is that together, those rules will then become the industry standard for the floriculture sector. The assessment takes 16 environmental indicators into account, such as climate change, the use of fossil fuels, eco-toxicity and water and land use.
The objective: to gain insight and reduce environmental impact
“The idea is to understand where exactly that environmental impact applies for each product,” continues Albert. “Often these are gas-fired products from a greenhouse, or products that are transported by air. So, the European Commission is basically saying to companies: know where your impact is and where you could improve.”
“The FloriPEFCR methodology will prevent greenwashing by companies and ensure a level playing field,as the results will be reliable and comparable. Our aim is to show in an honest way what environmental impact a product has. Ultimately, the goal is to gain insight so that we can reduce the environmental impact of floriculture. As part of that process, we are working with the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI), which already operates a basket of sustainability certificates. So, it is a chain-wide approach.”
For growers
Growers can see how they are doing compared to their peers. The idea is that ultimately a fair comparison can still be made, as one product will score well on one part and less so on another. Those items are then added together, resulting in an overall score.
It is inevitable that products with different scores will emerge from the comparison. Albert: “Think of it as a team of footballers. Not all of them will share the same strengths or have the same characteristics, but together, they still form a team, or an assortment of flowers or plants in this case.”
For buyers
A clear standard will be beneficial for buyers, he continues. “Soon, it will become easier to select products in Floriday, for example, not only by length or by colour, but also by footprint. It is worth noting that buyers are already receiving these types of requests from the retail market, thus from their customers. They are being asked to state what carbon footprint a particular flower has. That will form part of the FloriPEFCR in the near future.”
Visible in shops from 2025 onwards
How long will it be until the sustainability score is visible in shops? Albert: “Right now, I'm very optimistic. I expect that the final version of the FloriPEFCR will appear on the European Commission's website by the end of this year. This will be followed by a process to approve the tools currently being developed to make FloriPEFCR easier to use, even for non-experts. After that, we will be able to provide information about the actual classification. My prediction is that European consumers may start to see some form of product score in shops from 2025 onwards.”
Read more:
• FloriPEFCR: the new standard method for environmental footprint calculations
• FloriPEFCR (on Wageningen University & Research website)
If you have any questions about the FloriPEFCR, please get in touch with our Customer Contact Centre.
-
Did you find this interesting?
Then share this article
-
Related articles
