Trouble in te Energy Star ecolabel. A damning report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released last month showed gaps in the process of the Energy Star certification and in its program partnership. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency - government agency to the U.S. Environmental Protection) and U.S. Department of Energy, both proponents of the eco-label Energy Star, decided to implement emergency measures to toughen certification procedures.

The report summarizes the findings of a survey conducted in secret by the GAO. The organization has managed to certify products in 15 false 20, built by companies themselves fictitious. The products subject, which often includes an air purifier, have all been designed to cover the broadest spectrum possible in energy efficiency, the report said. All present on a website dummy dummy corporations.

The report said in particular that only a few controls were made by the bodies responsible for allocating to validate the reliability of companies (no telephone calls) and product specifications are subject also, for the most part not been verified. Result, although, as stated in the report, many U.S. consumers rely on the label to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gas emissions and energy bills, Energy Star loses credibility.

This week, according to our colleagues from BusinessGreen, EPA has ensured that the certification procedures would be tightened in order to regain consumer confidence. These new measures are expected by the end of the year. One can expect to finally see such formalize systematic recourse to an independent third-as-confidence so that would validate the conformity of products. A point mentioned when signing the letter of intent between the EPA and the Department of Energy to create the label almost 18 years ago.