Global GreenTag International NaturePositive+ Standard™ & NaturePositive+ Declaration™

Global GreenTag International CEO and Program Director David Baggs, who led the development of the NaturePositive+ Standard™ and its resultant NaturePositive+ Declaration™ (NP+D), explains:

"The NaturePositive+ Standard provides concepts that enable both natural and technical cycles' full scope and benefits to be measured as no product certification system has before. It brings together everything that we have worked on over the years to develop in the certification field into one overarching framework and metric that is calibrated against planetary boundaries."

Managing Director of Global GreenTag International, Mary-Lou Kelly, who has worked closely with David Baggs and other members of the Global GreenTag product research team to develop the NaturePositive+ Standard, says:

"This is where Global GreenTag has wanted to go with product certification to really help accelerate the changes that are needed now for a healthier tomorrow. It is a Standard that directly supports the Rights of Nature head on, so that we can provide the Australian and international markets with a solution that is focused on changing real world outcomes towards Nature Positive."

A NP+D follows a detailed submission of information by manufacturers and verification of the accuracy of that information by GreenTag Assessors.

2 Stage Process

It is initially in the form of a Product Assessment Report issued privately to the Applicant for review and not for publication. It provides a 'Distance to Target' assessment and embodies a rung-by-rung stepping up process for now-to-certification services.
This is followed by a review of the 'Nature based Solutions' credits purchased to offset any unavoidable manufacturing impacts and gains.
Once it is determined that the product is making a net-positive or 'Nature Positive' contribution to the planetary system, then the full NP+D Transparency Report and its inherent Certification and TAG is issued.

NaturePositive+ Declarations deliver a single metric-based product rating, calculated from, and backed by detailed individual metrics, together with detailed category specific transparency reporting. After product efficiency gains, residual product impacts are offset with nature such that the product becomes a net-positive, restorative influence on both climate and nature.

NP+Ds deliver such a range of individual metrics and such broad transparency that it will hopefully be the last product transparency report any procurement or green building professional will ever need.

An NP+D comprises:

• A front Summary Performance page with the awarded NP+D Certification Mark reflecting the tier awarded as the result of an overall weighted performance score;
• A 3-5 page High Level Indicator Reports with selected individual Performance Metrics; and,
• Up to 10 Detailed Category-specific Transparency Reports in discrete sections as represented by the Categories shown in the figures below (and tabled on page 21 of the NaturePositive+ Declaration Standard). A typical NP+D is over 40 pages in length and is the most definitive product transparency report available.

NP+Ds offer a comprehensive array of indicators, delivering precise metrics that enable manufacturers to showcase their Nature Positive performance and progress toward NaturePositive+ by earning biodiversity and carbon co-benefit credits in ways that go beyond current Circular Economy (CE) metrics and frameworks.

Benefit Measures: Life cycle analysis (LCA) and circular economy metrics typically measure only impacts and resources respectively. Natural and upcycling Technical system benefits are not conventionally included or able to be measured. As the oft-repeated truism states 'to monitor something you need to measure it'. So, benefit analysis is required to accurately reflect both natural and technical cyclic systems.

The Evah Institute has developed and Global GreenTag has collaborated in the peer-reviewed publication and practice of unique 'Life Cycle Benefit Analysis' (LCBA) based on conventional LCA methodology.

EPD:BA: The manifestation of LCBA within the GreenTag program has resulted in Benefit Analysis being published in relevant EPDs for some years and will continue. All NP+Ds include EN 15804 +A2 compliant EPDs and EPD:BA Benefit Addendums.

PHDs with HealthRATE™ & Asthma and Allergen Sensitive™ Claims: GreenTag's unique Product Health Declarations take the guesswork out of Chemical Hazard Risk Analysis for building and procurement professionals. Chemical and safety risks, mitigation strategies, worker health impacts and in-use healthiness for end-users, are all assessed and explained graphically and in simple language.

Products are screened for banned compounds and over 1000 further asthma and allergen trigger chemicals from a Professional list provided by an Association of Environmental Health Professionals that is updated regularly.

MSDs- GreenTag's Modern Slavery Declarations: are also a unique, product level modern slavery risk assessment across full supply chains. They score not just modern slavery risk, but also data quality risk based on the sources of the information to provide individual scores for both risks and an overall level of potential Modern Slavery Risk in 7 tiers from Very Low to Very High.

A set of eight major metrics are assessed and scored and weighted, then averaged using a weighting system benchmarked against planetary boundaries.

NP+D s provide a broader scope of indicators than typically used within CE, delivering a more refined and precise set of metrics that are capable and intended to be used to engage Nature Positive biodiversity and carbon co-benefit credits to enable manufacturers to demonstrate Nature Positive performance or achievement towards NaturePositive+. Importantly, NP+D s measure detailed toxicity and other impacts, as well as ecosystem and Material Circularity benefits, i.e., beyond the industry-typical, impact-only assessment outcomes.

A NP+D's metrics also enable manufacturers 'step-by-step' and 'distance-to-target' measures and approaches to incrementally build product certification portfolios that enable the assessment of products against robust, meaningful, and trusted standards that ensure products redress damages already done and help move global society toward a position where we might still have a hope to avoid the worst impacts of climate changes and biodiversity losses.

NP+Ds use many existing processes already in use by Global GreenTag and indeed some, by others in the industry. The figure below illustrates the source of the indicators in relation to existing and novel GreenTag services. Even EPDs from other providers can be used to calculate the EPD: Benefits Addendum (EPD:BA) needed to generate the 'Benefit/Impact Ratio' overall nature indicator.

The indicators specified in the NaturePositive+ Standard include all metrics needed to determine a product's true circularity. That is, they need to encompass all aspects required to ensure that a product's human and environmental outcomes deliver positive outcomes or, progress towards those goals assessed and reported to identify where progress needs to be made. They include:

• Material Circularity;
• Toxicity
• Human Toxicity
• Environmental Toxicity
• Biodiversity
• Climate
• Water Circularity & Scarcity
• Life Cycle Impact / Life Cycle Benefit Ratio
• Ethical Supply Chains
• ILO Compliance - factory
• Modern Slavery – supply chain
• Social Benefit Leadership
• Social disadvantage benefit
• Indigenous benefit
• Innovation Leadership

The NP+D process is a 2 Step, and 10 Stage process:

STEP 1: Manufacturers applying for NP+D Certification are supplied with information requests that are assessed and results communicated, and hence, enabled through the process to understand and act to minimise their impacts first.

Although not all manufacturers are ready for their products to be NaturePositive+, the confidential NaturePositive+ Assessment stage of the Declaration process is structured also to support the evolution and pathway for products to become Nature Positive.

STEP 2: Based on the 'Distance to Target' results from Step 1, Applicants then engage specific 'Nature based Solutions' to deliver carbon and biodiversity co-benefits to reach a Nature Positive status, achieving 'Net Positive' environmental outcomes, according to the NaturePositive+ Standard.

After this stage is achieved and results published, product researchers and customers will be able to measure and aggregate Nature Positive benefits for each certified product they procure for a project.

This is particularly beneficial to any industry harnessing a Circular Economy outcome. All the indicators will be visible in the reporting for the public to read, in both summary graphics with individual indicators, including BRONZE NP+, SILVER NP+, GOLD NP+ or PLATINUM NP+ ratings, as well as a detailed, full report.

Examples of NaturePositive+ rating tags that manufacturers can use to promote NaturePositive+ certified products.

• BRONZE NP+ tier indicates that a product is a minimum of 105% Nature Positive
• SILVER NP+ tier indicates that a product is a minimum of 110% Nature Positive
• GOLD NP+ tier indicates that a product is a minimum of 120% Nature Positive
• PLATINUM NP+ tier indicates that a product is a minimum of 150% Nature Positive

If you are a manufacturer or supplier who would like to submit your products to the Global GreenTag International NaturePositive+ Declaration program, please note the following prerequisites. Applicants are required:

Prerequisite 1: to ensure that their product marketing communications are factual and 'Greenwash' free according to best practice local and international standards as audited by GGTI Assessors in accordance with ISO 14021;

Prerequisite 2: to demonstrate that their products are fit for purpose; and

Prerequisite 3: to demonstrate that their products are banned ingredient free under the NP+D and its Supplementary Standards.

For further information download the standard

Each of the major core services within the NP+D Standard is already a standalone service recognised by or compliant with various rating tools as follows:

• Product Health Declaration [PHD]: Green Star^®, International WELL™ Building Standard, & LEED^®
• Environmental Product Declaration [EPD]: Green Star^®, Infrastructure Sustainability rating tool, & LEED^®
• Modern Slavery Declaration [MSD]: Green Star^®

Because each of the major core services within the NP+D Standard is a standalone service they can be selected individually and progress towards a complete NP+ Assessment achieved one Category at a time.

The time for the individual services varies by the complexity. Successfully obtaining full information from Applicants and their Suppliers is typically the longest part of the process. The times below exclude Applicants' own time to provide acceptable information:

• PHD 6-8 weeks
• EPD & EPD: BA 6-12 months (including external peer reviewing)
• MSD 6-8 weeks
• Entire NP+A & NP+D 6-12 months

Global GreenTag™ International Pty Ltd assesses products for all aspects of impacts on human health, ethical labour supply and the environment. The company was established in 2010 as a third party verified Conformance Conformity Assessment Body that conducts the award winning Global GreenTag Cert™ certification program, and a third party, multi-criteria, consensus based and externally verified Type 1 Ecolabelling Program that complies and operates under strict International Standards. Global GreenTag is legally approved as a Certification Mark operator by the ACCC in Australia and by equivalent government agencies in NZ, USA, Canada, and South Africa.

Global GreenTag websites and all marketing collateral for every product certified by Global GreenTag is verified as 'fit for purpose' and compliant with ISO 14021. What's more, Global GreenTag's governance and its own external verification and certification against standards such as ISO 14024 (Ecolabelling), ISO 17065 (Conformance Assessment) and ISO 9001 (Quality Management) among others, is unparalleled.

Global GreenTag also operates an EPD Program recognised as an ECO EPD Platform Program Operator Member.

Voted one of the Top 100 Most Trusted Brands in Australia for 3 years running, Global GreenTag currently has more than 16,000 products in certification by over 230 manufacturers with factories in more than 20 countries. Global GreenTag™ certified products are determined as healthy for use using the best science available, with the results being internally and externally peer reviewed by highly qualified, external consultants, including Consulting Toxicologists and LCA Auditors.