Building Global Capacity for Sustainable and Circular Public Procurement in High-Impact Sectors
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) worked with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to strengthen global capacity to align public procurement with climate and circular economy goals in the built environment sector.
This project supported the strategic outreach and implementation of the Global Framework for Action: Harnessing sustainable and circular public procurement to drive demand for a near-zero emission and resilient built environment. The project was led by IISD and funded by UNEP.
Public procurement is a powerful lever for accelerating the transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient infrastructure. Yet many procurement officers and policy-makers lack the practical tools and guidance needed to implement sustainable and circular practices. To address this gap, the project developed a modular online course and a regionally tailored in-person workshop to raise awareness, build competencies, and engage key actors across the procurement and construction value chains.
Designed to be accessible and adaptable across different regions, these resources support countries in integrating sustainability and circularity into procurement decisions, helping to translate the ambitions of the Global Framework for Action into implementation on the ground.
By equipping procurement professionals and decision-makers with the knowledge and tools to shape demand, this project contributes to a broader transformation of the built environment—one that advances climate mitigation, resilience, and resource efficiency.
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