Selection

Select here what should be displayed in the chart and in the table.

Download Headline CSV Download Source CSV

Market share of products certified by publicly managed eco-labelling schemes
Year Value Units
2012 3.6 Percentage
2013 4.4 Percentage
2014 5.9 Percentage
2015 7.6 Percentage
2016 8.7 Percentage
2017 8.4 Percentage
2018 7.4 Percentage
2019 7.9 Percentage
2020 12.0 Percentage
2021 13.3 Percentage
2022 12.2 Percentage
2030 Percentage

Data source: German Environment Agency

Geographical Area: Germany

Note: From 2020 also with the clothing category.

This table includes additional information to the above visualized indicators, i.e. a short definition of this indicator and a description of the politically determined target values as well as explaining the political intention behind selecting this indicator.

Definition (Text from the Indicator Report 2022 - State 31.10.2022)

The indicator measures the market share of products with voluntary or mandatory eco-labels, whose awarding procedures are stipulated by governmental bodies. The eco-labels and products comprise energy labels for cars, large household appliances, light bulbs and televisions, organic labels for foodstuff and Blue Angel for sanitary paper, detergents and cleaning supplies.
Target and intention (Text from the Indicator Report 2022 - State 31.10.2022)

Private households can engage in sustainable consumption both directly and indirectly. Not only do their purchasing decisions influence their own ongoing impact on the environment, as energy-efficient vehicles or insulated homes require less energy to use and lead to lower emissions of greenhouse gases, but consumers can also purchase products that have been manufactured in particularly sustainable ways. The aim of the Federal Government is therefore to increase the market share of products certified by publicly managed ecolabelling schemes to 34 % by 2030.
Definition

The indicator represents the market share of products with voluntary or mandatory sustainability labels (in per cent) whose award criteria are determined by government bodies. The sustainability labels and products include energy consumption labelling for cars, large household appliances, light bulbs and televisions; organic labels for food; the Green Button for clothing and the Blue Angel for hygiene paper, detergents and cleaning agents.
Intention

Private households can consume sustainably both directly and indirectly. On the one hand, their purchasing decisions influence their own environmental footprint, as energy-efficient vehicles or insulated houses require less energy to use and cause lower greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, consumers can purchase products that have been manufactured in a particularly sustainable way.
Target

Increase to 34 per cent by 2030
Type of target

Goal with a specific target value
Implemen­tation in weather symbol calculation

The market share of products with state sustainability seals is to be increased to at least 34 per cent by 2030.


Based on the target formulation, if the average development of the years 2017 to 2022 continues, the politically defined target value will be clearly missed. Indicator 12.1.a is rated as “Cloud” for the year 2022.
Assessment

Weathersymbol: cloud
Data state

15.01.2025

Text from the Indicator Report 2022 

Between 2012 and 2019, the market share of products certified by publicly managed ecolabelling schemes increased from 3.6 % to 7.9 %. This is equivalent to a turnover of 26.5 billion euros in 2019. The highest value was measured in 2016 at 8.6 %. The indicator value sank in 2017 and 2018 relative to the previous year, whereby the share slightly increased in 2019. Basically, the indicator follows the trend of the car market. The market share of A + cars decreased from 14 % (2016) to 9.6 % (2018) and increased again in 2019 (10.0 %). The trend of the indicator developed in the right direction but unless the trend is reversed and the market share is considerably increased, Germany will fall short of the 2030 target.

The data used for this indicator comes from the German Environment Agency (UBA). The UBA utilizes information from various sources for the calculation of the indicator, for example from the consumer research institute. The indicator is made up of the market share of products which either bear the highest category of EU energy label within their class or are certified by the EU Ecolabel, the Euro-leaf organic logo or the German Blue Angel. The EU energy label primarily addresses energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, while the other three ecolabels also take into account other threats to the environment such as pesticide use and harmful wastewater. The indicator is intended to show whether environmentally friendly product variants are replacing conventional ones in the market. Only a selection of product groups is examined, in part because limited data are available on turnover for products bearing sustainability labels. This also makes it possible to avoid certain products being counted more than once.

The indicator encompasses consumption in the fields of home life, mobility and nutrition. Household appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, televisions and vacuum cleaners are assessed, as are light bulbs, foodstuffs, sanitary paper, detergents and cars. Since the markets for the individual product groups are of different sizes, the market shares are weighted according to the total turnover of the market in question. This is intended to prevent the indicator being distorted by products which have high shares of small niche markets. Furthermore, this means expenditure on environmentally friendly products can be considered in relation to the total expenditure of private households.

It is not possible to weight the market shares according to the market relevance of the respective product groups because the environmental labels address different categories (energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, material demand) that cannot be balanced against one another. This also makes it impossible to set out the environmental footprint, or comprehensive evaluation taking in several environmental categories, of each product group. Moreover, the indicator only covers goods newly brought into circulation in relation to the market as a whole. It thereby gives no indication as to whether the enhanced efficiency of an appliance results in a change in consumer behaviour and perhaps to an increase in consumption – the rebound effect. It also describes the market share on the basis of turnover. Given the price differences between products with and without the relevant ecolabels, this means no conclusions can be drawn about their numbers. It follows that a change in the indicator value might have been caused by price alterations within a product group.