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July 30, 2024
GPN Japan operates “Eco-Products Database,” which is one of the largest environmental information databases in Japan, providing information on the environmental aspects of products and services as well as environmental and social initiatives of businesses in accordance with the GPN Green Purchasing Guidelines and the Basic Principle on Promoting Green Purchasing.
Listings are updated four times a year, and as of March 31, 2024, the total number of listings was approximately 13,200. According to the survey conducted by the Ministry of the Environment in FY2023, 88.1% of prefectures and ordinance-designated cities, and more than 400 local governments nationwide refer to “Eco-Products Database” and other information for their procurement.
In June 2024, we updated product information along with the revision of the lighting purchasing guidelines and add items related to non-containment of chemical substances. Japan has set a goal of reducing GHG emissions to zero by 2050, and it is necessary to minimize the amount of electricity used for lighting. The Green Purchase Guidelines now cover only LED lighting fixtures and LED lamps, and fluorescent lighting fixtures and fluorescent lamps, which were previously covered by the Guidelines, are no longer included. Therefore, only LED lighting fixtures and LED lamps are listed in lighting category of “Eco- Products Database.”
In addition, the Guideline item had previously covered the six substances covered by the RoHS Directive as being contained as little as possible, but it was revised in 2019 and the scope was expanded to 10 substances. We revised the Guideline to expand the number of substances covered to 10 substances. To link this update, we added the RoHS Directive compliance status to the items listed for some products in “Eco- Products Database” to provide more detailed information to users.
More details at GPN Japan website.
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July 23, 2024
Discover Mauritius' journey towards Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) in the construction sector through this concise summary. Learn how sustainability factors are now prioritized in procurement decisions, focusing on environmental and social considerations. Explore the background of the SPP framework, the rigorous process of selecting consultants, and the objectives and deliverables of the project. Gain valuable insights into expected outcomes, including the development of sustainable procurement strategies and capacity-building workshops. Follow the timeline of this crucial project aimed at improving sustainability practices in Mauritius' construction industry. This summary offers a brief yet comprehensive overview of ongoing efforts to advance sustainable procurement practices in the country.
More details at One Planet Network Knowledge Center.
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July 17, 2024
The clothing and textiles sector matters for global and local economies, representing millions in jobs and US$1.5 trillion in revenue. It, however, struggles to address its contribution to climate change, nature loss and pollution.
At the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6), governments called for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to facilitate a Global Textiles Policy Dialogue, aiming to create a space to empower governments to foster circularity across the value chain.
The importance of global policy coordination on textiles was highlighted in UNEP’s 2023 report, Sustainability and Circularity in the Textile Value Chain - A Global Roadmap.
Recognizing the urgency of scaling up policy efforts that minimize negative impacts of the textile value chain on nature, people and economies, the Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and Türkiye Ministry of Trade, with support from UNEP, convened a high-level UNEA-6 side event, “Connecting the Threads: A coordinated policy response to transform the textile value chain and offer solutions which preserve nature".
At the event, Mustafa Tuzcu, Türkiye’s Deputy Minister of Trade, called for UNEP to “bring and convene a wide array of governments in an inclusive policy dialogue to facilitate the transition towards a climate neutral, resource efficient and circular textile sector”.
Panellists acknowledged that tackling the negative environmental impacts of the textile value chain requires a systemic change with lifecycle-based and upstream policies, such as products designed with resource efficiency and circularity principles. To succeed, solutions need to be economically viable for industry and attractive enough for consumers. “To bring about policy coherence, we must find sustainable ways to balance consumption and production within a frame of human rights, environmental and sustainability laws,” said Ligia Noronha, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the UNEP New York Office.
“If a just transition is to be achieved, international cooperation is of absolute importance,” said Afke van Rijn, Vice Minister for the Environment and International Affairs at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management in the Netherlands. “We are happy to share our experiences and work together on strengthening the dialogue and create new standards in the textiles industries. A global policy dialogue allows for more international coordination for policy implementation and to share experience and knowledge on different policy initiatives”.
Recognizing the need for global cooperation
“The growing popularity of ultra-fast fashion, low-quality products and very low prices, is contributing to an explosion in textile waste,” said H.E. Arnaud Suquet, France’s Ambassador to Kenya and UNEP Permanent Representative. “We need to start thinking collectively about the issue of textile waste […] and France is ready to get involved.” In 2008, France introduced an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme which has helped to increase textile waste collection. A draft law on ultra-fast fashion aims to develop a legal definition, discuss financial penalties for such products within the EPR scheme, increase awareness of its negative impacts, and ban its advertizing.
“Not only are we interested to learn from the success stories of other countries, we also want to learn from their failures,” said Lydia Essuah, Director of Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation of Ghana. Essuah also highlighted the importance of engaging with local governments, manufacturers, retailers, waste management companies and non-governmental organizations to effectively address the challenge posed by textiles waste and second-hand clothes.
Tunisia’s Minister of Environment Leila Chikhaoui Mahdaoui, highlighted the importance of the textile industry to her country’s economy. The industry represents more than 5 per cent of national gross domestic product and 29.3 per cent of the total workforce in 2021. To transform the textile value chain, Mahdaoui advocated for research partnerships and knowledge transfer in emerging technology in textile materials, production and recycling, alongside enhancing access to finance and the establishment of internationally agreed durability labels.
Sagar Shah, Manager of Kenya’s Alpha Knits Ltd, welcomed “policies encouraging skills development and training programmes […] as well as the development of certifications.” Bahar Guclu, Deputy Director General of Türkiye’s Ministry of Trade underlined the need to consider the socio-economic impacts of textiles regulatory frameworks, and shift from price-driven to value and sustainability-driven competition.
Harnessing climate, biodiversity and pollution frameworks
Participants emphasized the need for the Global Textiles Policy Dialogue to leverage existing policy work on climate change (Paris Agreement), biodiversity (Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework) and pollution (Global Framework on Chemicals).
“It is very important that we continue to work through the existing international policy tools […] such as the Stockholm Convention on chemical regulation,” said Sweden’s Minister for Climate and the Environment Romina Pourmokhtari. She referred to the proposal Sweden and France made within the European Union, to include textiles in the Basel Convention to improve traceability of waste or second-hand textile imports and exports.
Speakers agreed that the Global Textiles Policy Dialogue should be government-led and inclusive. “UNEP would be happy to support such a policy dialogue,” said Noronha.
More details at One Planet Network website.
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July 12, 2024
The Circular Cities Declaration (CCD) Report 2024 has been released, launching during the WCEF. Entitled "Insights on implementation, measurement, and nature," this edition features contributions from 54 European cities representing 16 million inhabitants and more than 200 concrete, replicable, and innovative examples of circular actions across all economic sectors and value chains. Building upon the 2023 call for reports from signatories of the CCD, the report provides a detailed overview of strategies and actions implemented by each city, complemented by analyses from ICLEI Europe, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and Circle Economy. Additionally, it includes in-depth chapters on measuring progress and utilizing the circular economy for nature regeneration.
Key Insights
The CCD Report 2024 features introductory chapters curated by experts from ICLEI Europe, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and Circle Economy. The team analysed the reports submitted by the signatories to assess their progress against the CCD commitments and identify the main challenges faced by cities in their path towards a circular future. Here is what they discovered:
--Cities are clearly implementing and embedding circular economy principles and roadmaps successfully through a wide range of activities.
--Cities are prioritising progress on circular economy measurement and reporting to support their strategic decision making and transition plans.
--Cities are beginning to realise the untapped potential of the circular economy for regenerating nature.
--Cities are harnessing the potential of the circular economy to achieve climate goals, as well as build resilience and enable a just transition.
More details at the Circular Cities Declaration Website.
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July 1, 2024
How can cities act to respond to the climate crisis and resource depletion challenges associated with the construction sector? The Global Lead City Network (GLCN) on Sustainable Procurement offers practical insights. This group of cities, coordinated ICLEI - co-lead of our Sustainable Public Procurement Programme - are committed to sustainable transition. All participating cities of the network act as ambassadors of sustainable procurement to lead to a resource efficient, low carbon and socially responsible society; GLCN cities are fully determined to use their purchasing power to deliver cleaner and healthier buildings. Their Factsheet ‘Construction & Climate: Global Public Procurement’ illustrates how the innovative procurement practices of GLCN cities have helped to address the challenges associated with the transition towards greener buildings and infrastructure, whilst promoting fair working practices in the construction sector, highlighting activities from Budapest, Denver Helsinki and Oslo.
Learn more details at One Planetnetwork knowledge center.
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