TASHKENT, October 15. /Dunyo IA/. Laetitia Montero, (Switzerland) a participant in the "Annual Meeting of the Global Ecolabelling Network", taking place in Tashkent on October 13-17, and  Programme Management Officer at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), shared her thoughts on the significance of this conference in an interview with Dunyo IA correspondent:

– My name is Laetitia Montero, and I work at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) under the One Planet Network. Our mission is to promote tools for consumer information – specifically how businesses communicate the environmental impacts of their products. In this regard, ecolabels are a particularly effective tool.

I am truly impressed by the progress Uzbekistan has made so far. It was inspiring to witness the first business receive ecolabel certification – a remarkable milestone. Even more impressive is the progress on the legislative front. Uzbekistan stands out globally for how ecolabelling and green public procurement are closely and explicitly integrated into national legislation – a rare and commendable achievement.

Uzbekistan is clearly taking a leadership role in this space, and I understand there's growing interest in extending this experience to other Central Asian countries. I sincerely hope this regional collaboration becomes a reality, as Uzbekistan has a powerful story to share.

It was also an honor to have the Minister attend the opening of this event, reaffirming Uzbekistan’s commitment to being at the forefront of the green economy. From UNEP’s perspective, we are truly pleased to see such dedication and progress.

Looking ahead, our partnership with Uzbekistan continues to grow — particularly in the building and construction sector. We’ve been working together on developing sustainability criteria for high-impact materials such as cement and steel. We are currently engaging with businesses to refine these criteria, with the aim of having them adopted at the national level. The next phase will involve certifying these products and ensuring that they are prioritized in green public procurement policies.

In addition, there is clear interest in expanding this initiative across Central Asia, and from UNEP’s side, we are fully committed to supporting this broader regional collaboration.

These are the next important steps in our journey with Uzbekistan.