Recently it has come to my attention that there has been confusion as to what an ISO 14024 Type 1 ecolabel actually means, what it measures and what we mean when we talk about “the top 20 per cent”.

This does not refer to the top 20 per cent of financially performing businesses, and it is certainly not about not-for-profit organisations recouping costs by rewarding those making the most money.

It is about rewarding those who do more than just meet the minimum standards – they rise above and exceed them, outperforming even the “good” products. Read more from Kate at The Fifth Estate.

Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) has made significant revisions to its two furniture standards and is seeking comments from industry professionals on the proposed new standards.

The standards, Furniture Fittings & Foam (Level A), and Furniture and Fittings (Level B), have been updated and revised and are now out for public comment until Monday, 12 December 2016. Read more.

GECA has been nominated once again for Architecture & Design's Trusted Brands 2016 survey!

The many outstanding products certified with our ecolabel are leaders in sustainability and this award would also be representing each one of them. Vote for us to show your support (and for a chance to win an iPad Air 2)! Vote for GECA today!

We spoke with Dhaval Thakkar from Clean Plus Chemicals about what certification means to them:

How important is certification to you?
We have carried green and biodegradable products for many years, but after getting GECA certification, we immediately saw a huge spike in sales for those certified products that were of interest to corporate and government buyers. We found certification helped to build an extra level of trust, both in the product itself and in our own capabilities. We are looking forward to expanding our GECA certified range soon. Read the full interview here.

The GECA Cement, Concrete and Concrete Products standard is nearing completion, and we expect to launch this standard by the end of the year.

GECA's Environmentally Innovative Products standard has been re-opened and is ready to accept new applicants. The standard's scope is flexible and non-specific, making it easier to certify products that may not fit other existing GECA standards.

GECA is also planning to develop a standard for steel in 2017.

The forthcoming ISO20400 standard for Sustainable Procurement - Guidance has reached the final stages of development. There will be one final round of review consultations held in Brazil from 6 - 9 December 2016 before publication of the standard in 2017.

GECA has been actively involved in contributing to the development of the standard as part of the Australian mirror committee and also as a member of the Australian delegation to the ISO meeting in Sydney (pictured).

This month, we've had several new products and ranges certified with GECA from some of our valued licensees.

GECA is very pleased to welcome back E.D. Oates! Oates have been supplying professional cleaning and household products for home and industry for over 80 years.

Six of their products - Citrafresh, Citrawash, Citron, Lencia, Orange Squirt and Zest - are certified with GECA under our Cleaning Products standard.

SBE16 Sydney is part of the Sustainable Built Environment (SBE) Conference 2016 Series focused on developing High-Performance Built Environments. The conference will be held on 17-18 November, 2016 at the Australian National Maritime Museum.

Come and hear from GECA's Kate Harris and Shaila Divakarla as they speak at the conference about sustainable procurement, supply chain risk and the new ISO20400 standard. As part of the pre-eminent international conference series, SBE16 Sydney is aimed at driving innovation in design, planning and management of high-performance built environments, as well as promoting education and collaboration in the field. Read more.

Now in its third year, the GovProcure conference has established itself as the place that procurement managers from all levels of government come to meet, engage and build the skills that they need to continue to deliver efficient, effective, ethical and economical goods and services.

Come and hear from GECA's Shaila Divakarla at a panel discussion on 'Integrating Sustainability into Public Procurement Processes'. The conference runs from 6-8 December in Sydney. Read more.

FLiCKERFEST, Australia’s premier international short film festival, will be held at the Bondi Pavilion on Sydney’s Bondi Beach from 6-15 January 2017. The Festival in 2017 will celebrate 26 years of screening the best short films from Australia and around the world.

GECA's Kate Harris will be a member of the jury for GreenFlicks, held on Saturday 14 January, which showcases a selection of short films with environmental themes from around the world, screening in competition. More information to come.

GECA is proud to be an Industry Supporter of the 4th International Green Interior Awards. This unique global program rewards industry professionals who create interior spaces using environmentally sustainable interior products.

Check out the website for more information, including last year's winners and opportunities to get involved.

Winners of the 2016 Green Gown Awards Australasia were announced earlier this month, recognising excellence in sustainability within the tertiary education sector in Australasia.

Showcasing a diverse range of innovative and ethical initiatives, the Awards demonstrate that sustainability and ‘being green’ continues to gain importance across Australasian campuses.

A full list of winners can be found online at ACTS.

This year, Banksia is thrilled to be recognising 62 finalists across 13 categories for the Banksia Sustainability Awards.

Each of Banksia’s Finalists will present a Ted Talk at the 28th annual Banksia Sustainability Awards on Wednesday 30th November at the University of Sydney as part of the Sustainable Development Goals Australia 2016 conference.

Sustainable Development Goals Australia 2016 - SDGA16 - is a broad ranging multi-stakeholder Conference to stimulate action on the 17 biggest social, environmental and economic challenges. It will be held in Sydney from 29-30 November.

Focusing on the 'what, why and how' of implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals in Australia, this Conference aims to build awareness and identify key priorities for Australia's sustainable growth. GECA's Kate Harris will be the convenor for Goal 12 and will moderate the panel session at the event, so find out more and register here.

One of Australia's premier law firms, Maddocks, were relocating to three new floors at Walker Corporation's premium Collins Square Development in Docklands. The firm has worked alongside architects Bates Smart to explore ways of using the space innovatively in order to promote new and efficient ways of working that are supported by technology.

GECA licensees Aspect Furniture were successfully contracted by Maddocks and worked with Buildcorp to provide all the open plan and Legal Office work points, mobile storage solutions and free standing storage elements in the fitout. Read more.