As global markets move toward low-carbon growth, trade policy is evolving to keep pace.
The recently launched Green Economy Partnership Agreement (GEPA) between Aotearoa, Singapore and Chile is designed to accelerate the green transition by opening up shared trade and investment opportunities.
What GEPA sets out to achieve
This agreement emerged from a year-long Joint Working Group on Trade and the Green Economy, where businesses, standards bodies, and organisations (like Eco Choice Aotearoa) were invited to provide input.
Designed to be a “living agreement” to allow for greater flexibility and responsiveness, GEPA will focus on:
- trade in environmental goods and services, including emerging technologies such as hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel;
- the interoperability of environmental credentials, green standards and labelling for exported goods;
- sustainable finance and green investment;
- trading of ‘intangible environmental attributes’ such as carbon and nature credits, as well as other forms of credits or certificates.
- collaboration on decarbonisation and sustainable practices in key sectors, starting with agriculture and food systems, construction services, technologies and building materials, and circular economy/recycling and plastics.
At Eco Choice Aotearoa we’re especially encouraged by GEPA’s focus on trusted environmental credentials and green labelling.
What it means for Kiwi exporters
If you’re a business serious about sustainability, GEPA is exciting for several reasons:
- New trade opportunities. The agreement will see trade barriers lowered for sustainable goods, enabling businesses to explore new markets that value credibility, transparency and positive impact.
- Leverage your green credentials. Soon, products with recognised certifications, like Eco Choice Aotearoa, will be acknowledged by all parties to the agreement – reducing duplication, administrative burden, costs, and giving exporters greater certainty. Instead of proving your environmental credentials from scratch in each market, or getting bogged down in layers of compliance, you can leverage the immediate credibility of your ecolabel.
- Strengthen your competitive advantage. As global markets demand clearer proof of environmental performance, businesses with independently verified environmental performance are at an advantage. You’ll be able to position your products as an obvious choice when it comes to securing contracts and clearly differentiate them from competitors relying on self-declared claims.
How Eco Choice Aotearoa is uniquely positioned to help
As New Zealand’s official ecolabel – trademarked by the Ministry for the Environment – Eco Choice Aotearoa already offers:
- Existing partnership with the Singapore Environment Council (SEC), smoothing the path for seamless alignment under GEPA.
- Independent verification of product sustainability using a robust lifecycle approach
- A strong track record of credibility, operating in full alignment with ISO14024 guidelines.
As the agreement is put into practice, Eco Choice Aotearoa is ready to support its rollout and provide the credible, internationally recognised verification New Zealand exporters need.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade (MFAT) is accepting public submissions to inform their negotiations on ways that GEPA could support growth in New Zealand’s green economy. If you believe Eco Choice Aotearoa’s contribution is important, you may wish to reflect that in your submission. Please provide your feedback here before Thursday 5 February 2026.
