EDF provides the international cooperation services mainly through the channels of the following international organizations:

1. Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN)(http://www.globalecolabelling.net/)

There are currently less than 40 ISO Type I ecolabeling programs from over 60 countries worldwide. In 1994, nine pioneering ecolabeling programs founded the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN). At present, GEN has 27 full members and five associate members. The GEN’s business is authorized and conducted mostly through the GEN Board of Directors.

GEN’s main activities:

• Hold annual general meeting and conference, and publish annual report and  GENews on-line
• Promote GENICES and product criteria development
• Assist multilateral organizations (e.g., UNEP) in promoting sustainable production and consumption
• Plan for future development directions and conduct fund-raising activities

EDF’s participation

• EDF is one of the founding members of GEN, with EDF personnel served as Chair and Board of Director at multiple terms.
• EDF initiated GEN’s first bilateral mutual recognition agreement (MRA) with Canada’s EcoLogo Program in 1997 and signed over 10 MRAs with GEN members which triggered the GENICES process.

• EDF first initiated the GEN’s common core criteria (CCC) development process through the MRA with Canada. Under this process, CCCs on paints, toner cartridges, VCRs, MFDs, TVs, passenger cars, digital cameras, packaging foams, mattress and biodiesels were later developed with other GEN members’ participation.
• Through the MRA process, EDF has assisted many domestic and foreign manufacturers in resolving issues regarding applications of domestic or foreign ecolabels through EDF’s MRA partners.

2. International Green Purchasing Network (IGPN)(http://www.igpn.org/)

The International Green Purchasing Network (IGPN) was founded in April 2005, as a non-profit international organization dedicated to promoting green purchasing activities.

Mission:

• Promote the global spread of environmentally friendly products and services through development of green purchasing activities
• Share international information and know-how on green purchasing and environmentally friendly products and services
• Harmonize the global efforts of green purchasing and the development of environmentally friendly products and services

Members:

• China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam

Main activities

• Collect and deliver information on global green purchasing activities, best practice examples and recent trends, via internet web pages or other media.
• Hold workshops and green product exhibitions/fairs (e.g., Eco Product International Fair, EPIF) in each region in cooperation with the Asian Productivity Organization (APO).
• Cooperate with other organizations and develop tools that can be utilized internationally, such as the Eco Product Directory and Green Purchasing Starter Kit.

EDF’s Participation

• Helped established the Taiwan Green Purchasing Alliance (TGPA)
• Present Taiwan’s experiences in green purchasing in various EPIFs
• Assist IGPN in preparing green purchasing promotional publication, e.g., “Green Purchasing: The New Growth Frontier”

3. Asian Productivity Organization (APO) (Web site:http://www.apo-tokyo.org/

The Asian Productivity Organization (APO) was established in 1961 with the support of the governments of various Asian countries. Current APO membership consists of 20 economies, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Republic of China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. Within the APO, each member economy is represented by the member’s national productivity organization (NPO). Taiwan is currently represented by the China Productivity Center (CPC).

APO’s green products and green procurement-related activities

• APO’s activities in this area are organized by the Industry Department of the APO, with the goal of promoting greening of supply chain.
• Since 2005, APO has published the annual Eco Products Directory for distribution to international organizations, government officials, business executives and visitors to the Eco Product International Fair (EPIF). This directory can also be downloaded online. The contents of this directory are divided into four parts: products, raw materials, components and services.
• APO has also sponsored and organized the annual Eco Product International Fair (EPIF) in its member economies since 2004, with the most recent one being held in New Delhi, India, February 2011.
• APO organizes various workshops in assisting its members in how to identify and promote green products.
• EDF has been invited to serve as instructors in APO’s workshops on eco-labeling and eco-product directory training workshop, and has assisted Taiwanese manufacturers in placing their products on the annual directory.