The standard is backed by the DMA, Royal Mail, ISBA, TPS and Acxiom and will be developed and run independently by the British Standards Institute using a team of experts and industry figures.
Clients, suppliers and agencies will all be able to apply for the standard, which is set to launch in late 2008. It is expected to cover topics such as environmentally sound practices in production and sourcing, suppression and data cleansing.
Robert Keitch, director of media channel development at the DMA, said that the standard would be rigorous, but that industry needed to focus its environmental efforts on more than just recycling.
"The more companies that get involved with the standard, the more the government will realise that the industry is making a major effort in the environmental sector," said Keitch.
The announcement follows the meeting last week of senior DMA officials with MP Joan Ruddock, minister for climate change, biodiversity and waste, to discuss the industry's environmental credentials.
The DMA said the meeting had been demanding, with the minister's focus on reducing landfill and wider environmental initiatives. However, Ruddock said she was supportive of the DMA's green efforts thus far, and would follow the development of the BSI standard with interest.
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