Colombia celebrated 20 years of the Colombian Environmental Seal during the event “Ecolabel with a Purpose: The Road to the Colombian Environmental Seal,” held on November 20 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Bogotá Salitre AR hotel. The event brought together representatives from the public, private, academic and international cooperation sectors to present the new technical standards that strengthen sustainability in the country, with the aim of improving the quality, competitiveness and environmental responsibility of goods and services.
The meeting was organized by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and ICONTEC, with the support of the IKI EcoAdvance Project on Sustainable Public Procurement and Ecolabeling, financed by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) within the framework of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). This joint work enabled progress to be made in updating and creating technical standards that are fundamental to strengthening the seal.
During the event, eight technical standards were launched: four updated ones – toilet services, food services, mattresses and bricks – and four new ones – e-commerce, data centers, construction aggregates and absorbent hygiene products. These standards integrate reinforced environmental and social criteria, aligned with global trends such as biodiversity, climate change, circular economy and improved conditions in value chains.
Also presented was the Seal of aaa | Environmental Alliance of the Americas, a regional initiative that seeks to harmonize criteria and broaden the recognition of sustainable products, strengthening the positioning of the Colombian Environmental Seal in Latin American and global markets.
The strengthened standards will provide state entities with more solid tools to advance in sustainable public procurement, facilitating the identification of goods and services with lower environmental impact, greater efficiency and better social practices. Their coordination with international instruments, such as the European Union’s Digital Product Passport, will improve the traceability and transparency of certified products.
