Ecomonkey is a brand new incentives programme, which rewards users who want to buy a little bit greener and more ethical, but who don't want to do a huge amount of their own research.

This opens up excellent opportunities for retailers and brands to promote their environmentally friendly lines and products. Furthermore, for retailers and brands, who do not actively promote their green credentials or their greener product lines, we will do it for them.

According to research commissioned by the Co-op bank, the overall ethical market in the UK (the most recent figures based on 2006) is now worth £32.3 billion a year, up nine per cent from £29.7 billion in the previous 12 months.

Unlike typical green service providers, we will make available a wide range of products & lines, from the conventional and not so green, through to the very green, and set the incentives accordingly.

This means that our users have greater choice and can buy from a full range of lines. Our target audiences are ABs and C1s, who are literate internet users, motivated not just by the reward programme's objectives and ethos, and the incentives themselves, but are busy pragmatists who are more likely to change their behaviour if they can buy from mainstream shops & suppliers and don't have to track down well-hidden niche suppliers (though we make space for them too).

Our ratings are based on assessments and synthesis of information published by independent bodies and organisations who certify products and companies; however we take on board and accept a wide range of opinions and views, including those of our users, and the retailers and brands themselves. Because of this our ratings will differ from time to time from others in the public domain, but at the same time they are not set in stone.

There is increasing evidence that internet shopping can be 'green', mainly by making the sourcing and distribution of goods more efficient.

If you feel that we have misrepresented these assessments, feel that our assessment is unduly harsh, or we have just missed something out, please feel free to get in touch.

If you disagree with the assessments others have made, we suggest you make any representations with these bodies directly.

If you want to discuss how to join the ecomonkey programme or want to improve the way we show your products, please get in touch via the "ask ecomonkey" link.

If you already have a relationship with us and want to monitor project progress contact us via ecomonkey project manager