Vegan - Self Declared is one of the declarations under the Ekko Score No Exploitation Standard.
Vegan - Self Declared products are completely plant derived. Vegan products fall in line with vegan principles, which abstain from the use of animal products in both diet and lifestyle. Traders who are committed to veganism believe that animals should not be killed for the use of humans – to be eaten, worn or used as part of furniture or construction.
There have been many scientific reports on the link between meat consumption and climate change. Climate change itself also poses a threat to the security of our food supply as a heating planet and more extreme weather events will all have an impact on crops and livestock. Agriculture and forestry account for about a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock rearing contributes to global warming through the methane gas the animals produce, but also via deforestation to expand pastures.
Vegan - Self Declared sits in the VEGAN Family under the Societal Standard: No Exploitation of Ekko Score. One set of weighted Ekko Score points are gathered from each Family.
These are the claimable declarations & certifications under the Societal Standard: Multi Sector & Business. 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.