Good practice on ecolabels and sustainable public procurement: Implementation of an e-catalogue with sustainable products and services
This specific good practice "Implementation of an e-catalogue with sustainable products and services - Cases from Korea, Italy and Bremen (Germany)", 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. It helps them easily find and trust products with credible sustainability performance, addressing the challenge of evaluating diverse and often unreliable environmental claims and saving their time.
Successful implementations include the KONEPS e-Shopping Mall in Korea, the Electronic Marketplace for the Public Administration (MePA) in Italy, and the e BreKat e-catalogue from the city of Bremen in Germany.
An e-catalogue not only boosts the availability of certified green products but also simplifies the procurement process, supporting broader environmental and economic goals. This good practice highlights that effective national policies and communication strategies are crucial for the successful adoption and market expansion of sustainable products.
Available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
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).
We would be delighted to present this good practice during one of your events. Additionally, if you would like to replicate it, share a good practice that we could systematize, or learn more about the EcoAdvance project, please contact us at ciscp@un.org.
