[3] In 1996, Kristiansand Municipality started a project together with local enterprises in order to operate more environmentally friendly.
From 2000 Eco-Lighthouse (in Norwegian "Miljøfyrtårn") was driven as a 3-year national project with financial support of the Ministry of Climate and Environment.
In 2003 the non-profit Eco-Lighthouse Foundation was established by the following parties:[5][4] Due to membership in the European Economic Area, a new law for public procurement had to come into effect in Norway in 2017.
In principle, only environmental certification according to the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) or ISO 14001 would qualify in public procurement.
National systems like the Eco-Lighthouse would only be allowed when approved according to Article 45 of Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009,[8] i.e. when recognized to comply with EMAS requirements.
Without such approval, the about 5000 Eco-Lighthouse certified organizations would not be allowed to participate in public bids in Norway.
[9] The scheme is updated and extended regularly[10] with emphasis on industries with large indirect environmental impact like designers[11] and banks.
[12] Sources[2][5][13] In order to certify as an Eco-Lighthouse, an organisation has to comply with one or more sets of governance and environmental criteria.
However, the Eco-Lighthouse Foundation trains and approves all certifiers and subjects all certifications to a quality control before issuing the diploma.
In addition, there are about 80 sets of industry-specific criteria, for instance for construction, manufacturing, hairdressing, architecture and education.
[28] Topics covered in the criteria sets (industry-specific criteria do not necessarily include all topics): An Annual Climate and Environmental report covering the previous calendar year must be delivered in the web portal prior to first time certification.
Organisations are not obliged to hire a consultant for re-certification after 3 years, but the cost for the certifier are the same as for first-time certification.