Green Button 2.0 Certification

The Green Button 2.0 label is used to designate textiles manufactured under environmentally sustainable conditions and is sewn in or attached to the textile product so that it can clearly be seen. The criteria and conditions for the Green Button 2.0 were laid down by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and an office has also been established at the German cooperation agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

The German accreditation body (DAkkS) is responsible for ensuring that auditing is consistent and reliable. TÜV NORD CERT, known and respected throughout the world as an international testing and certification organization, is one of the first in Germany to offer independent and competent auditing for this forward-looking label. The Green Button 2.0 is awarded following successful certification. 

As the first textile label based on criteria laid down by the German state, the Green Button 2.0 combines requirements for the actual product itself with conditions to be fulfilled by your organization. A total of 54 criteria are assessed in a Level A and Level B audit. Level A criteria are audited in years 1 and 2, followed by Level B in year 3 (Level B analyses 33 of the 54 criteria in more depth). 

A product must meet minimum social and environmental standards, which can be verified by existing, recognized labels.  In addition, your company must provide evidence of its due diligence obligations.  These include, for example, QA systems within the framework of the entire supply chain.

The criteria for organizations are based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) and also sector-specific recommendations of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The complete criteria list can be found here.

Trusted labels can testify to the fulfilment of the social and ecological product criteria of Green Button 2.0. An overview of the labels recognized by Green Button 2.0 can be seen here.

The Green Button 2.0 addresses all companies that manufacture and/or sell textiles. This includes both manufacturers of these goods and retailers who sell products manufactured by third parties under their own brand names. Products include clothing textiles apparel, home and household textiles, technical textiles, textile shoes and accessories. More details can be found in the Goods and Services List.