Brazil’s Green Seals to Standardize and Certify Sustainable Products and Services—CSOs Can Help

In June, Brazil launched a new, voluntary Green Seal program to identify sustainable products and services and to promote Brazil’s green and circular economy as a basis of innovation, competitiveness and global leadership.

Green seals enhance transparency by providing clear, credible information about the environmental impact and sustainability practices associated with products and services, helping consumers make informed choices that align with their values. It also allows companies to benchmark their progress, differentiate themselves and signal their commitment to meeting criteria. In the case of Brazil, companies will need to meet the socio-environmental criteria—such as traceability, carbon footprint, solid waste and energy efficiency—defined by the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards.

The seal is intended to reflect national and international standards to ensure reciprocity, cooperation, and mutual recognition. The first standards are expected to be issued by the first half of 2025 and the program’s Advisory Committee will facilitate dialogue between the public and private sectors towards adoption. Companies that participate can receive technical assistance and training for adapting to the new criteria.

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) can boost the credibility, public awareness and effectiveness of such programs through development of standards and best practices, stakeholder engagement and partnerships, independent auditing and verification, educational campaigns, community based feedback, impact assessments, reports and program endorsements.

A great example of this is Brasil's Green Buidling Council, a CSO which has hugely influenced green building for major sporting events, raised awareness among millions, showed the cost advantages of green buildings over time, and registered and certifiied  new Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) buildings. LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and Brazil ranked fourth in the world for LEED in 2022.

However, CSOs are best positioned to enhance the credibility of, and trust in certificication programs when they themselves demonstrate transparency. CiSoRise’s stamp—our equivalent of a green seal but for transparency compliance of independent sector organizations—can help Brazil and other countries reach this goal, and thus act as a transparency multiplier.