Green Star - Certified is one of the declarations under the Ekko Score Energy, Utility & Building Standard.
Green Star is administered by Green Building Council Australia and is a comprehensive rating system for all types of projects, ranging from apartment buildings to schools, university buildings, hospitals, offices, shopping centres and industrial facilities; offering a framework of best practice benchmarks for sustainability that consumers can trust.
The quality of our built environment impacts all of us. Green Building Council Australia advocate for more productive, liveable, sustainable and healthy cities; more resilient communities; a low carbon, high performing built environment; raising minimum standards through the National Construction Code and facilitating sustainable utility infrastructure. You can get more information on the Green Building Council Australia website.
Green Star - Certified sits in the BUILDINGS Family under the Environmental Standard: Energy, Utility & Building of Ekko Score. One set of weighted Ekko Score points are gathered from each Family.
These are the claimable declarations & certifications under the Environmental Standard: Energy, Utility & Building. Please note that different certifications and declarations may be relevant to each category.
Yes, where the impact of the claim is similar. This is how it works.
IMPORTANTLY, SELF DECLARATIONS ARE GOVERNED BY CONSUMER LAW. IT IS AGAINST THE LAW FOR BUSINESSES TO MAKE FALSE CLAIMS (INCLUDING IMPLIED CLAIMS IN A CONTEXT LIKE EKKO SCORE).
EVEN IF A PRODUCT HAS A FORMAL CERTIFICATION, THAT CERTIFICATION DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ENTIRE INTEGRITY OF THE PRODUCT'S MAKE UP.
An example might be a Handmade, Australian, Certified Organic chocolate that contains Palm Oil. Under Ekko Score, this product would claim Certified Organic and would self declare: Zero Waste Production and Australian made, but could not claim the No Palm Oil declaration. This would mean a lower score under the No Exploitation Standard, making the inclusion of Palm Oil clear to potential consumers, without detracting from its other assets.
No product is perfect, but some products are definitely better than others. Ekko Score allows you to make the best decision you can, or to put it another way, the least worst decision. And to make that decision with the confidence of not being green washed. Find out more about how Ekko Score works.