Good practice on ecolabels and sustainable public procurement: Developing ecolabel criteria for a new product category
This good practice involves applying a systematic methodology to develop criteria for new product categories, combining scientific rigor, stakeholder engagement, and transparent governance. Building on ISO 14024 principles, ecolabelling schemes can implement a structured, transparent, and participatory step-by-step approach to criteria development. This ensures that requirements are ambitious, credible, and practicable, while fostering broad stakeholder acceptance. Examples include the processes used by the Colombian Ecolabel, Eco Mark Japan, and the EU Ecolabel.
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This series of 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 German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN), 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.
