This is an ‘environmental cost index’, displayed on products or services, on shelves or on the internet, calculated over the entire life cycle of the product or service, according to a validated reference system. It's a simple benchmark for consumers (with a registered graphic identity) that enables them to compare products and make an informed choice when making a purchase.
 

Environmental labelling encourages manufacturers and distributors to initiate and promote their eco-design initiatives by providing precise information about the environmental impact of their products.
 

It is a voluntary and regulated tool that can be used to improve the environmental performance of products and services, with a dual objective:
 

1. A system to inform consumers when they make purchases => a simple benchmark to raise awareness of responsible consumption
    

2. A system to encourage manufacturers/distributors to initiate and promote their eco-design initiatives => a management tool to encourage sustainable production.

Environmental labelling is an approach that has been promoted since 2009 as part of the Grenelle Environment Round Table to raise consumer awareness of the environmental impact of products and services, and has been taken up by the Citizens' Convention and subsequently in various laws, the latest of which is “Climate and Resilience 2021” (article 2).
 

LOI no. 2021-1104 of 22 August 2021 stipulates:

‘A display intended to provide consumers with information relating to the environmental impacts [...] of a category of goods or services placed on the national market is made compulsory, under the conditions and subject to the reservations set out in Article L. 541-9-12.’

‘This display [...] shall be visible or accessible to the consumer, in particular at the time of purchase. 

‘The information provided shall show, in a reliable and easily understandable way for the consumer, the environmental impact of goods [...] over their entire life cycle. Depending on their relevance to a given category [...] it shall take account of greenhouse gas emissions, damage to biodiversity and consumption of water and other natural resources. It shall also take account of the environmental externalities of systems [...], assessed scientifically, in particular for agricultural, forestry and food products.’

‘Experiments will be carried out for a maximum of five years [...] to evaluate different methodologies for calculating environmental impacts and display methods. At the end of the trials [...] environmental labelling will be made compulsory’.
A decree will define the categories of goods and services concerned, the methodology to be used and the display methods adopted. The legislator will ensure that the conditions are adapted to the size of the company, in particular for very small, small and medium-sized enterprises.

The environmental display system consists of several tools for calculating the ‘impact score’ and ensuring that the results are comparable:

• General principles and methodological framework: common to all product categories, PEF (European) or BPC 30-323 (French) standards. These standards are based on the life cycle analysis (LCA) framework. 

• Sectoral standards: These specify the common standard by explaining how the calculations should be carried out for each product category. The sector-specific guidelines also specify any additions to be made to the LCA indicators (e.g. microplastic indicator for textiles). 

• A generic LCA database: provides the ‘default’ environmental values needed to calculate the impact of products. Example: impact of electricity, materials, transport, etc. ADEME is working in partnership to develop the ‘Empreinte’ and ‘Agribalyse’ LCA databases, which are used for product labelling.

• Public or private calculation tools to facilitate implementation: e.g. Ecobalyse.

• The display format: a graphic charter and a logo.

Environmental labelling is part of the drive to develop the circular economy and the environmental transition of businesses. It enables companies to promote their efforts in a sincere and transparent way, and to combat greenwashing. The scheme is part of ADEME's overall offering to help businesses make the transition.

https://economie-circulaire.ademe.fr/entreprises-economie-circulaire

Over this period, 168 companies, distributors and professional federations experimented with an initial display system for everyday consumer products. Environmental impact indicators were affixed to certain products.

A report on this nationwide experiment was submitted to Parliament in 2013. The main conclusions are as follows

• an experiment that has positioned France as a pioneer; 

• the interest and relevance of a multi-criteria approach covering the entire life cycle (LCA approach);

• a potential source of economic competitiveness and environmental performance; 

• a genuine expectation on the part of consumers. 

• the need to develop common data and methodologies to better cover all environmental issues (soil carbon, biodiversity, etc.) before validating an official system. 

Following this initial experiment, technical work continued at ADEME, via various sectoral experiments and at European level.

Over the period 2017-2020, five pilot sectors have been retesting environmental labelling on their products or services: electronic products, food products, clothing, furnishings and hotels.

The aims of these projects were to

- To calculate the environmental display using the reference systems, the IMPACTS ® database (now the Empreinte database) and the tools available, and to collect feedback,

- To use environmental labelling as a lever for initiating eco-design initiatives,

- Communicate the results of environmental labelling to consumers and encourage companies in these sectors to take the plunge. 

- Provide reports and feedback.

Since 2021, the public authorities have focused their resources on the food and textile sectors.
 

And at European level?
 

In 2013, the European Commission adopted a recommendation to Member States and economic players to use common European methods known as PEF (Product Environmental Footprint) and OEF (Organisational Environmental Footprint).