Certification of energy efficient and water efficient products

Certification assists consumers in avoiding greenwashing, and may be provided by governments or independent bodies.

Certification varies in cost reliability (the level of assurance provided). The best are essential aids to environmentally conscious and budget conscious shoppers; the worst examples are actually greenwashing.

Life cycle analysis is a key tool in certification.

Independent third-party verification is an important part of certification. If the testing is done by the company itself, there is an incentive to interpret results favorable, or even to cheat outright.

• Certification of Green Products, Think 2100 blog.