Global GreenTag International introduces 5-year certification cycle

New model delivers greater efficiency and long-term value for manufacturers while maintaining rigorous annual oversight

1 April 2026 — Global GreenTag International has announced a significant enhancement to its certification framework, moving from a 3-year to a 5-year certification cycle model across its certification, declaration and verification services.

Effective from 1 April 2026, the revised model applies to all new product certifications and re-certifications. Under the new framework, certified products will enter a 5-year certification cycle in line with the international standards for EPDs, but with annual certificate renewals required throughout that period to ensure the rigour, relevance and integrity of certifications are maintained by manufacturers.

Approved by the Green Building Council of Australia and GreenTag's external industry representative on its National Advisory Committee, the shift is expected to provide substantial value to manufacturers by extending the period over which they can leverage their certification investment, reducing the frequency of full re-certification processes, and improving continuity in product positioning, specification support and market communications.

For manufacturers operating in the sustainable green building industry, the change is especially valuable. Building and infrastructure projects often unfold over extended timelines, and products specified at early project stages may need recognised certification status for years as designs, procurement and construction phases progress. A 5-year cycle helps manufacturers remain market-ready for longer, while still meeting annual renewal requirements that support confidence in the ongoing validity of certified claims.

The revised model also offers important benefits for architects, designers, specifiers, procurement teams, developers, asset owners and other product buyers seeking trusted product information. A longer certification cycle, backed by annual renewals, alignments with other declaration standards including Type III ecolabels (EPDs), and internally consistent within certifications that rely on multiple certifications like GreenTag's NaturePositive+Declaration, this change supports more consistent access to recognised certifications, declarations and verifications while reinforcing the accountability and transparency needed for informed product selection.

Global GreenTag certifications are widely relied upon by product manufacturers and buyers across industries worldwide, including the building and design sector, where they can support product selection for projects aligned with leading green building and sustainability rating tools that recognise credible third-party certification, environmental declarations and verified health-related product information.

Dr Nana Bortsie-Aryee, Program Director of Global GreenTagCertTM, said the change reflects a practical and strategic evolution of Global GreenTag's certification model.

"Our move to a 5-year certification cycle is designed to create stronger long-term value for manufacturers, while maintaining the rigour and credibility that the market expects from Global GreenTag certifications. By retaining annual renewals and surveillance within the new cycle, we are ensuring that certified products continue to meet the high standards required for trusted third-party certification, while giving clients greater efficiency, continuity and confidence in how they take their certified products to market."

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The updated certification cycle also enables manufacturers to plan more effectively across compliance, product stewardship, sales and marketing functions. For organisations with multiple product certifications and declarations, it creates a more streamlined and predictable certification pathway, and enhanced alignment in recertifications while still preserving ongoing review points that protect the quality and trustworthiness of certification outcomes.

For product buyers, the new model offers assurance that certified products remain subject to regular review, while reducing the risk of unnecessary gaps in certification continuity. This is particularly important in sectors where independently verified information is increasingly sought to support healthier materials choices, lower-impact procurement and more transparent supply chain decision-making.

This update reinforces Global GreenTag International's ongoing commitment to robust, practical and industry-responsive certification systems that help manufacturers differentiate their products and help buyers make more confident, informed decisions.

About Global GreenTag International

Global GreenTag International is a world-leading product certification body providing independent certification, declaration and verification programs for products and materials across multiple industries worldwide. Its programs support manufacturers, specifiers, procurement professionals and consumers seeking trusted information on product sustainability, health, ethical supply chain considerations and fitness for purpose.
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