World Ecolabel Day is celebrated every year on the second Thursday of October as a global initiative of the Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN).
It brings together Type I ecolabelling programs, certified businesses and other stakeholders around the world to raise awareness of credible ecolabels and their role in sustainable consumption and production.
World Ecolabel Day in Ukraine
As Ukraine's member of the Global Ecolabelling Network, Living Planet coordinates and promotes World Ecolabel Day activities in Ukraine through the "Green Crane" Ecolabelling program.
Our activities focus on increasing awareness of Type I ecolabelling in accordance with ISO 14024, promoting credible and verifiable environmental information, and demonstrating how independently verified ecolabels can support informed choices by consumers, businesses and public authorities.
Each year, we engage certified companies, public authorities, educational institutions and other stakeholders in communication and awareness-raising activities.
Recognising Ukrainian businesses
World Ecolabel Day is also an opportunity to highlight Ukrainian companies that invest in cleaner technologies, resource efficiency, circular economy solutions and products with independently verified environmental performance.
In recent years, Living Planet has brought together representatives of the Ukrainian Government, Parliament, international organisations and certified businesses to recognise Ukrainian manufacturers and share their success stories.
In 2024, representatives of environmentally certified Ukrainian businesses met with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, the Parliamentary Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management, and representatives of international technical assistance projects.
The event highlighted business achievements in green transformation, reconstruction and modernisation of production, circular economy and decarbonisation, development of new products and access to new markets.
Representatives of the Global Ecolabelling Network and international partners also joined the initiative. Certified companies were recognised for their contribution to sustainable consumption and production and their commitment to environmental standards under exceptionally challenging conditions.
World Ecolabel Day in Ukraine:
2024 - Meeting with government, Ukrainian environmentally certified businesses
2023 - Meeting with government, EU representatives, international experts and Ukrainian businesses
Ecolabelling Lesson
Education is another important part of our World Ecolabel Day activities.
The "Ecolabelling Lesson" is an educational initiative for teachers and students aimed at building knowledge about ecolabelling, sustainable consumption and informed product choices.
The initiative encourages teachers to develop and deliver their own lessons, games, quests and other educational activities on ecolabelling.
The 2024-2025 national competition for teachers was launched as part of World Ecolabel Day. It attracted 121 teachers from different regions of Ukraine.
Participants developed educational approaches ranging from interactive lessons and web quests to environmental games, research activities and practical exercises involving the identification of ecolabels and certified products.
The best practices demonstrate how ecolabelling can be integrated into environmental education while developing critical thinking and practical skills for sustainable consumption.
Explore the Ecolabelling Lesson competition, cases and photos
Engaging certified businesses
Companies certified under the "Green Crane" ecolabelling program are encouraged to use World Ecolabel Day to:
- communicate their certification and environmental achievements;
- explain the meaning of the ecolabel to consumers and business partners;
- share information about independent certification in accordance with ISO 14024;
- engage employees and customers through educational and awareness-raising activities;
- demonstrate practical examples of environmental improvements and responsible production.
Living Planet provides communication guidance and materials to support these activities.
Promoting credible environmental information
World Ecolabel Day also provides an opportunity to explain the difference between independently verified ecolabels and unsupported or misleading environmental claims.
Through communication, educational activities and cooperation with businesses and public authorities, we promote:
- credible and verifiable environmental information;
- independent third-party certification;
- responsible use of environmental claims;
- recognition of Type I ecolabels;
- informed consumer and procurement choices.
These activities are increasingly relevant in the context of EU policies aimed at empowering consumers for the green transition and strengthening the reliability of environmental claims and sustainability labels.
Part of a global initiative
Ukraine's activities are part of the global World Ecolabel Day campaign coordinated by the Global Ecolabelling Network.
Participation in the initiative connects Ukrainian businesses, educators, public authorities and consumers with the international ecolabelling community and demonstrates how Type I ecolabelling can work in practice as a tool for sustainable consumption and production.