October 15, 2024
Good practices on ecolabelling and sustainable public procurement
This series of 20 good practices reflects experiences on ecolabelling, sustainable public procurement, or the joint use of ecolabelling and sustainable public procurement that have demonstrated positive impacts on fostering sustainable consumption and production — for this reason, they are called "good practices.” These good practices aim to promote global exchange by providing information and examples of various approaches that entities from different countries and contexts can apply to strengthen the use of ecolabels and sustainable public procurement. They were developed as an outcome of the Working Group on Ecolabelling from the Consumer Information Programme, under the One Planet network, and the EcoAdvance project, jointly implemented by the German Cooperation for Development (GIZ), the United Nations for Environmental Protection (UNEP), and the Oeko Institute, funded by the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, nuclear safety and consumer protection (BMUV), and the International Climate Initiative (IKI).
All the cases studies are available in English and Spanish.
1. Grouping of sustainable certifications under a recognition scheme or pre-approved list
This good practice explores the benefits of grouping ecolabels (ISO 14024) and sustainable certifications under a recognition scheme or pre-approved list to streamline sustainable public procurement. This approach helps public procurers easily identify and trust products and services with credible sustainability performance, mitigating the challenge of assessing diverse and often unreliable environmental claims. The MyHIJAU Mark in Malaysia and the EPA’s Framework in the USA serve as examples of successful implementation.
2. Implementation of an e-marketplace of sustainable products and services
This good practice explores the benefits of using e-marketplaces to help public procurers easily identify and trust products and services with ecolabels (defined by ISO 14024) and sustainable certification schemes, mitigating the challenge of assessing diverse and often unreliable environmental claims. The MyHIJAU Mark in Malaysia and the Thai Green Cart in Thailand are examples of successful implementation.
3. Implementation of an e-catalogue with sustainable products and services
This good practice explores the benefits of creating centralized platforms for sustainable procurement. An e-catalogue includes pre-approved products and services vetted by a central purchasing body, allowing public procurers to purchase products directly without a tender. It typically features both conventional and sustainable items, and filters are available to help procurers search exclusively for sustainable products and services, like the ones with ecolabels and sustainable certifications.
4. Ecolabels and certifications strategies to educate consumers and companies about sustainability
This good practice explores the methods used to promote the use of ecolabels and sustainable certification schemes by providing awareness, information, and education. It helps to develop a more sustainable market where consumers prioritize sustainable and certified products, and companies innovate to offer certified products and services with reduced environmental impact. EU Ecolabel, Vitality Leaf in Russia, Blue Angel in Germany, and the international Rainforest Alliance certification are examples of successful implementation.
5. Government strategies to educate the public procurement ecosystem about sustainable practices
This good practice explores the benefits of educating to empower public procurers, decision-makers, auditors, citizen oversight groups, and the private sector with the necessary knowledge to make environmentally conscious decisions. These programs include workshops, guidance materials, training sessions, and online courses designed to foster a culture of sustainability and responsible procurement practices across all levels of public procurement. Successful implementations include Colombia Compra Eficiente's Virtual Training School, the European Commission's green public procurement toolkit, Costa Rica’s Ministry of Finance webinars, Indonesia's Massive Open Online Course for SMEs, Ecuador’s certification program for public procurers, and France's online platform, award program, and regional networks to exchange experiences on sustainable public procurement.
6. The adoption of biodiversity conservation criteria by ecolabels and certification schemes
This good practice explores the benefits of incorporating biodiversity-focused criteria in ecolabels to help public procurers and consumers identify and trust products and services with credible sustainability performance, addressing the challenge of environmental degradation and biodiversity loss. The Nordic Swan, Good Environmental Choice (Sweden), Singapore Green Label, and Life Certification serve as examples of successful implementation.
7. Integrating ecolabels, certifications and sustainable public procurement in National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans
This good practice explores the benefits of incorporating ecolabels, certifications, and sustainable public procurement into National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) as instruments to promote biodiversity-friendly production and consumption. It also helps align national procurement practices with international biodiversity targets, which further promotes individual country’s conservation efforts. France and Japan's NBSAPs serve as examples of successful implementation.
8. Sustainable public procurement policies that use ecolabels and environmental certifications
This good practice explores the benefits of aligning public procurement criteria with existing ecolabels or environmental certifications. These tools can also define test methods and verification processes to ensure compliance with these criteria. Some countries have strong institutional policies that actively encourage or require the use of ecolabel-aligned criteria while others take an ad-hoc approach, depending on the willingness of the procurers. China, the United States, Korea, Japan, Thailand, the European Union, Brazil, Ecuador, and Argentina have policies that are examples of different kinds of implementation.
9. Ecolabels and certifications criteria for construction materials and their use on sustainable public procurement
This good practice explores the benefits of incorporating ecolabels, certifications, and sustainable public procurement into the building and construction sector as instruments to promote environmentally responsible production and consumption. It also helps align national procurement practices with global climate and biodiversity targets, supporting individual countries' efforts to reduce environmental impacts. GreenPro, Korea Ecolabel, FSC, and PEFC certifications serve as examples of successful implementation.
10. Measuring the environmental impact of ecolabels
This good practice explores the importance of assessing the environmental benefits of ecolabelled products using science-based methodologies to enhance their credibility and effectiveness. The EPEAT ecolabel for electronics, the Korean Ecolabel, the GreenPro Ecolabel in India, and the China Environmental Labelling Programme serve as examples of successful implementation, demonstrating how these ecolabels measure reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, energy savings, resource conservation, and other environmental impacts compared to conventional products.
We would be delighted to present these good practices during one of your events. Additionally, if you would like to replicate some of them, share a good practice that we could systematize, or learn more about the EcoAdvance project, please contact us at ciscp@un.org.
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