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Harmonizing reporting for green public procurement and green building programs: using ecolabels and EPDs
October 27, 2025
Harmonizing reporting for green public procurement and green building programs: using ecolabels and EPDs
This report discusses the use of Type I Ecolabels for green public procurement (GPP) programs, and the use of EPDs in construction projects. It makes a recommendation to include EPDs in Type I Ecolabels for priority construction materials and products such as cement, concrete and steel, to support streamlined and interoperable reporting.
Many governments adopt Type I Ecolabels as a basis for their enterprise-wide green or sustainable procurement policies. Type I Ecolabels are third-party verified labels that indicate a product meets a threshold for specific environmental, and sometimes social, criteria. They streamline GPP and minimize administrative burden and are most often used for enterprise-wide green procurement or Scope 3 reporting.
Type III Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) include an actual measurement of greenhouse gas emissions for the product but they do not include a threshold. Many governments specify the use of EPDs for construction materials to support green project design and infrastructure planning. EPDs are most often used to support whole (construction) project life cycle assessment, and more recently for GPP commitments and product regulations for low-emission materials.
Type I Ecolabels and Type III EPDs are distinct yet compatible environmental reporting instruments. Combining them can reduce reporting burden by supporting both enterprise-wide GPP and green building programs.
The document was developed with support from UNIDO and the Industrial Deep Decarbonization Initiative (IDDI), with contributions from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) One Planet Network and EcoAdvance project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), and Three Pillars Consulting (TPC), and in consultation with IDDI member governments.
Learn more details at the One Planet Network news center.
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