Best Practice: Grouping sustainable certifications under a recognition scheme or pre-approved list

Explore the benefits of using a recognition scheme and pre-approved lists to group ecolabels and sustainability certifications. The case of the MyHIJAU brand in Malaysia and the U.S. EPA's Framework for the Assessment of Environmental Performance Standards and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing in the U.S. serve as examples of successful implementation of how this model works as a products and services screening mechanism that could be adopted in sustainable public procurement. The practice helps public buyers identify and trust products and services with credible sustainability performance, mitigating the challenge of evaluating diverse environmental claims.

Through the EcoAdvance project, this best practice is made available to the countries of Central America and the Caribbean, providing information and examples to replicate the positive experiences in the use of eco-labeling and sustainable public procurement in other countries around the world.

If you are interested in replicating this practice, you can contact ciscp@un.org.