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November 25, 2025
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) participated in the 2025 Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN) Annual General Meeting (AGM), held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from 14-17 October. The event brought together representatives from governments, ecolabelling organizations, and international partners to strengthen cooperation and promote credible ecolabelling as a key instrument for advancing sustainable consumption and production (SCP).
The meeting was officially opened by H.E. Abdukhakimov Aziz Abdukaxarovich, Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In his opening remarks, the Minister emphasized Uzbekistan’s commitment to being at the forefront of the green economy and invited Uzbek businesses to actively engage in environmental certification efforts. Notably, one local company was formally awarded its ecolabel certification during the event. Uzbekistan has shown strong leadership in Central Asia by explicitly integrating ecolabelling and green public procurement into national legislation. In 2025, Uzbekistan launched the voluntary ecolabel “Yashil Belgi” (Green Mark), developed in accordance with the ISO 14024 standard. Building on this momentum, the Government adopted a resolution in June that encourages certified enterprises by awarding additional points in procurement evaluations, thereby integrating ecolabelling into national procurement systems.
The event brought together ecolabel organizations and government representatives from across Asia and the Pacific, Europe, North America and Latin America and the Caribbean. The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of GEN members to advancing sustainable consumption and production through strong partnerships and the exchange of good practices. With a focus on emerging markets, participants discussed how ecolabelling can catalyze change by reaching new consumer communities and supporting regional efforts to scale up credible, harmonized, and impactful sustainability initiatives.
UNEP’s 10-Year Framework of Programmes (10YFP) Secretariat, has a strong partnership with GEN supporting ecolabelling initiatives. During the event, UNEP emphasized the unique contribution of ecolabels in addressing the triple planetary crisis—biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution. Ecolabels guide consumers and businesses toward products and services with lower environmental impacts across their life cycles while supporting national and global policy frameworks, including the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the Global Framework for Chemicals, and national efforts to advance circular economy and sustainable public procurement (SPP). UNEP also highlighted the importance of engaging consumers and businesses through effective communication strategies that reflect values such as health, quality, and social responsibility. A strong call was made for greater efforts toward regional and global harmonization of ecolabelling schemes to enhance credibility, efficiency, and policy alignment.
Progress under the EcoAdvance project was showcased, a collaborative effort between UNEP, GIZ, and Öko-Institut, receiving financial support from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI). Key achievements include the Environmental Alliance of the Americas, the first regional initiative to establish a joint programme for ecolabelling and environmental declarations in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as efforts to develop strong ecolabel criteria for products in the building and construction sector in Asia and to leverage them for SPP. A key highlight for the EcoAdvance project was the in-person signing of six Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) between the national ecolabel of Uzbekistan and Japan, Kazakhstan, Singapore, Russia, Thailand and Ukraine, as well as the signing of a tri-party Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) between the national ecolabels of Thailand, Sri Lanka and Singapore on common criteria for cement. Regional harmonization of ecolabels helps streamline procedures for businesses seeking to market products across borders, reduce costs and complexity, and catalyze international trade in environmentally friendly products.
Through continued collaboration with GEN and its members, UNEP remains committed to promoting credible ecolabelling systems that empower consumers, enhance transparency, and accelerate the transition toward sustainable consumption and production globally.
Learn more at UNEP One Planet Network news center.
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November 17, 2025
Copenhagen, 2025 – The Circular & Fair ICT (CFIT) Pact convened participants and partners in Copenhagen for its 2025 meeting, hosted by UNOPS. The gathering underscored how public procurement can shape ICT markets by setting shared expectations and standards.
The CFIT Pact, an action under UNEP's One Planet network’s Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) Programme, shows that government spending decisions carry influence beyond individual contracts. By aligning procurement approaches across countries, CFIT creates consistent signals that help direct investment, innovation, and competition in ICT.
A moment of commitment
A key moment was the formal handover of Ireland’s signed CFIT Pact by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP). This reinforced Ireland’s commitment to putting sustainable ICT procurement into practice. Anne-Claire Howard, Director of Procurement at UNOPS, opened the meeting with a clear call to action: “Let’s focus on tangible, workable solutions that we can all stand behind and implement. This meeting is our moment to harness the power of this partnership, to forge a common path, and to drive a new standard for the entire sector.”
Advancing and broadening action
Participants advanced work on CFIT’s framework, which covers circularity and critical raw materials, due diligence and transparency, carbon and climate, and chemicals of concern. CFIT resources, including mini-guides and manuals, provide practical tools that help public procurers apply consistent approaches. The meeting also broadened CFIT’s scope. Beyond workplace ICT, the Pact will now address the environmental footprint of data centers and cloud storage.
Responding to new requirements
The meeting addressed changes in the global landscape, including new sustainability and due diligence regulations that affect procurement. CFIT supports members by offering harmonized approaches and shared expertise to meet these requirements more effectively. Participants also heard from Daniel Reid, Head of the Secretariat of the Circular Electronics Partnership (CEP), who shared perspectives on circularity, sourcing, and design challenges across the electronics sector.
Why participation matters
CFIT shows how coordinated procurement can strengthen sustainability in the ICT sector. By joining, participants gain access to shared resources and a network that supports implementation and creates wider market impact.
For more information at One Planet Network news center.
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November 10, 2025
At COP30, UNEP and the 10YFP are elevating sustainable public procurement to the forefront of climate action through two complementary sets of engagements: a cross-cutting programme highlighting public procurement’s role in driving resilient, inclusive transitions, and a dedicated built-environment area showcasing cooperation and solutions for low-carbon and circular construction in the road to a near-zero emission and climate-resilient built environment.
Discover the main events and engagements across COP30 at the One Planet Network website.
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November 3, 2025
Paris, 3 October 2025 - The 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production (10YFP) joined the International Resource Panel’s (IRP) capacity-building meeting for new Panel members. The session brought together scientists, policy practitioners and the 10YFP Secretariat to strengthen the links between research and international action on sustainable consumption and production.
Representing the 10YFP, Jorge Laguna Celis, Head of the 10YFP, presented the programme’s work and priorities, highlighting how the partnership with the IRP has been essential in ensuring that science informs policy and implementation. He underlined how IRP assessments such as the Global Resources Outlook have helped ground 10YFP work and outputs - and how joint initiatives—such as the value-chain approach developed with the IRP—translate scientific methods into practical tools for governments and stakeholders.
“By combining the IRP’s evidence base with the 10YFP’s intergovernmental reach, we can accelerate progress towards SDG 12 and support countries in building more sustainable patterns of consumption and production”, said Laguna Celis.
The event provided an important opportunity to connect with prospective IRP panel members and reaffirm the close cooperation between the two organizations. Moving forward, there remains a consensus between the organizations for advancing the global science–policy interface, ensuring that the authoritative and science-based knowledge of the IRP and international convening power of the 10YFP, work hand in hand to deliver tangible impact on SDG12.
More details at One Planet Network News Center.
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