Part 16: International Task Force for Sustainable Products (ITFSP)

Year: 2007
Policy Status: In force

Many of the major energy-using products are globally traded goods and therefore to realise its goal of raising product standards, the UK Government has made a commitment 'to promote international cooperation on product labelling and standards':

The UK has established the International Task Force for Sustainable Products (ITFSP) (www.itfsp.org) as a key mechanism through which actions are delivered to raise product standards internationally and ultimately increase the range of efficient products available to UK consumers.
ITFSP has an on-going activity to 'map' policy actions by product and country and to identify gaps where international cooperation would be beneficial - these gaps define key areas for action and guide ITFSP activities. Where specific issues have been identified, such as the need to harmonise product standards or test methodologies, ITFSP encourages and facilitates the formation of a Global Sustainable Product Network (GSPN); this provides a framework for greater collaboration between countries, existing 'communities of practice' (open networks of stakeholders including experts and policy makers) and other multi-stakeholder initiatives. Current GSPNs cover four products: Lighting, Home Entertainment, Motors, Computers and one cross-sector area: Compliance.

ITFSP is also one of seven voluntary expert task forces supporting the UN Marrakech Process to prepare "a 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production" (10-YFP) (which will be presented at the 2010 / 2011 cycle of UN Commission on Sustainable Development). Through the development, dissemination and transfer of policy tools and concrete actions, ITFSP aims to raise awareness of product policy as a means of achieving international development and environmental objectives. This will promote and support the inclusion of product policy initiatives in the national and regional programmes on SCP that will comprise the 10-YFP.

In its 2007 Energy White Paper, the UK government identified ITFSP as a key means through which to assist in the development of practical standards to reduce stand-by power and in implementation of the International Energy Agency's (IEA) 1-Watt initiative. ITFSP is working closely with the IEA including on the organization of joint workshops (e.g. Enhancing compliance, monitoring and evaluation in Feb 08 and Standby in April 08) and through active participation in the new Implementing Agreement on Efficient Electrical End-use Equipment. This initiative will provide an important route for international cooperation on reducing the energy consumption of appliances and currently includes proposed work programmes ('annexes') on global mapping and benchmarking of product standards, commercial lighting, set top boxes, standby, motors and supply chain agreements.

ITFSP (and MTP) is also influential in other international initiatives aimed at improving collaboration on product policy and the performance standards of globally traded goods as:

• International CFL Harmonisation Initiative (CFL): aiming to deliver higher-quality, low-cost CFL lighting products to consumers worldwide
• Standards for Energy Efficiency of Electric Motor Systems (SEEEM)
• promoting rapid market diffusion of high-efficiency motor component technologies and systems worldwide by encouraging international agreement on testing procedures, efficiency classes and labeling schemes
• EU Code of Conducts (EU CoC) on Set Top Boxes/Data Centres
• voluntary collaborative action by policy makers and manufacturers to avoid or reduce standby power consumption.