Regional Conference: Advancing Ecolabelling & Sustainable Public Procurement through regional cooperation

Regional Conference: Advancing Ecolabelling & Sustainable Public Procurement through regional cooperation

Date: 10-11 July 2025 
Location: Brasilia, Brazil

Background:
Convened by the One Planet Network and the EcoAdvance project, this conference aims to catalyse ambitious action and provide a key platform for sharing experiences, strengthening networks, and defining strategies to promote Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) in Latin America and the Caribbean region (LAC) through sustainable public procurement and ecolabelling.

The EcoAdvance project is a collaborative effort between GIZ, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the Oeko-Institute, financed by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI). 

The event will bring together thought leaders and key stakeholders -- representatives from governments, standard-setting bodies, accreditation agencies, international organizations, and private sector -- from across the LAC region, including participants from the EcoAdvance project and the One Planet Network’s Programmes on Consumer Information and Sustainable Public Procurement.  

A special focus will be on amplifying the impact of the Environmental Alliance of America, which hosts the first regional ecolabelling program, backed by regulators, standard-setting bodies, and accreditation institutions from the LAC region.

Format:
The two-day regional conference will be held in-person in Brasilia, Brazil, with online participation available. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in Portuguese, English and Spanish. 

Virtual Link: Register Here

Expected Outcomes: 

• Elevating SPP and Ecolabelling as key drivers for advancing sustainable consumption and production, positioning the LAC region as a leader in the transition towards sustainability.
• Integrating SPP and Ecolabelling into national strategies, including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs).
• Strengthened regional cooperation and partnerships among stakeholders involved in SPP and Ecolabelling, including through scaling-up the Environmental Alliance of America, hosting the first regional ecolabelling program.
• Incentivization of business leaders in the LAC region to meet rigorous sustainability criteria, enhancing their global competitiveness and promoting stronger regional trade.
• The Environmental Seal of America is promoted into national policies on Sustainable Public Procurement and the circular economy, positioning it as a catalyst for regional trade.
• Support the role of digitalization for consumer information and SPP

Access the conference draft agenda is attached.

About the conference organizers 
The Consumer Information Programme of the One Planet network (OPN) is a multistakeholder community working to engage in dialogue and collaborate on innovative solutions to achieve SDG 12 and promote a more circular economy. It holds projects, resources, and expertise on ecolabels, climate change, biodiversity loss mitigation, and other themes to inspire a global movement for sustainable consumption and production.  The EcoAdvance project is a collaborative effort between GIZ, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the Oeko-Institute, receiving financial support financed by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The project aims to increase the use of sustainable public procurement and ecolabels as tools to improve climate mitigation, biodiversity, and resource conservation. 

Back-to-back events
On July 7th, the Digitalization for the Circular Economy Initiative, hosted by the United Nations One Planet Network Program and the Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability, will held a consultation with stakeholders from the LAC to gather regional perspectives on the development of a global framework for Digital Product Information Systems (DPIS), such as digital product passports. This exchange aims to ensure that the framework reflects diverse regional realities and priorities, supports harmonization among initiatives, and builds on existing experiences. 
On July 8th and 9th, the Environmental Alliance of America, supported by the EcoAdvance project, will organize its Annual Meeting.  The Alliance hosts the first LAC regional ecolabelling program, and its meeting be a strategic opportunity for regulators, standard-setting bodies, and accreditation institutions to consolidate regional cooperation on ecolabelling and the Alliance 2025-2026 action plan.