Thai-German Initiative empowers Green Label Certification Bodies of Bhutan and Lao PDR
- Thailand supports Bhutan and Lao PDR to develop ecolabel certification.
- Bhutanese and Laos delegates engaged in a comprehensive coaching program, gaining valuable skills and competencies crucial for the advancement of their certification agencies.
In January and February 2024, representatives from the Kingdom of Bhutan and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) actively participated in the coaching programme for Green Label Certification Bodies implemented by the Thai Environment Institute (TEI). This was facilitated through a collaboration of the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) and GIZ’s SCP Outreach in Asia – The Next Five project. This trilateral cooperation represented significant progress in enhancing the certification capacities of the project’s partner countries.
The core objective of the initiative is to facilitate the establishment of new eco-label processes within existing certification bodies of Bhutan and Laos, fostering their transition towards sustainable practices and environmental stewardship. Through this visit, representatives from Bhutan and Lao PDR received direct mentorship from TEI’s skilled experts in the development of product criteria, certification processes for eco-labels, and audit procedures over 2 weeks. They actively participated in these processes, gaining first-hand experience and essential insights.
TICA played a crucial role in facilitating the transfer of Thailand’s advanced knowledge to its regional counterparts, while GIZ’s SCP Outreach project efficiently enabled the continued dissemination of capacities cultivated within Thailand’s institutions during the past 12 years of Thai-German SCP cooperation in the region.
Wilasinee Poonuchaphai
Project Co-Director of SCP Outreach
Email:wilasinee.poonuchaphai(at)giz.de