Public Procurement
However, public procurement decisions are still dominated by the lowest price at the time of purchase, rather than by awarding contracts based on value-for-money across the life cycle of a solution. This is a missed opportunity for creating society-wide benefits and fostering the transition to sustainable and circular economies. When it comes to infrastructure assets, this is especially notable, given their long lifespans and their potential for wide-ranging social, economic, and environmental impacts.
Public procurement is the purchase by governments and state-owned enterprises of goods, services and works.
The Sustainable Development Goals (target 12.7), call for “sustainable procurement practices” linked to governments’ respective policy priorities.
IISD provides policy advice, research, and training to implement sustainable public procurement. We work closely with policy-makers, international donors, multilateral development banks, and NGOs to design policies, programs, and technical assistance that address a wide spectrum of topics. Our Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) also provides quantitative evidence on the multiple financial, economic, social, and environmental gains that can be realized through sustainable public procurement.
We also serve on several working groups and are engaged in a number of associations. These include the OECD Leading Practitioners on Public Procurement; UNEP 10YFP Sustainable Public Procurement Programme – Working Group on Sustainable Infrastructure; UNCITRAL Working Groups on Procurement and Public–Private Partnerships (PPPs); Green Public Procurement Expert Group of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Environment; International Green Purchasing Network (IGPN); Inter-American Network on Government Procurement (INGP); Circular Economy Leadership Coalition; and the Innovation Procurement Working Group of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW).
Related Projects
The Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi)
IISD developed the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) to demonstrate to governments, investors and citizens why sustainable assets can deliver better value for money and more attractive internal rates of return.
The SAVi Data Sources
The Sustainable Asset Valuation Tool (SAVi) is built and customised based on sound science, rigorous research and careful data verification. Learn more about the sources and rationale for each asset category in these Data Briefs.
Public Procurement and Innovation for Low-Carbon Infrastructure
Sustainable Recovery 2020
The myriad economic stimulus packages that have been launched in 2020 offer an important opportunity to fast track sustainable development. The Sustainable Recovery 2020 campaign advocates that this unprecedented global wave of public spending is allocated exclusively to economic actors and infrastructure projects that minimize impacts on nature, account for climate risks, stimulate green innovation, and improve social cohesion.
Implementing Sustainable Public Procurement in Latin America and the Caribbean
This project was designed to enable the use of public procurement as a catalyst for green economic growth. Sustainable public procurement is a key factor in enabling the region to move towards an inclusive green economy.
The Sustainable Infrastructure Finance Portal
The Sustainable Infrastructure Finance Portal is a repository of news and views on sustainable infrastructure.
Integrating Copernicus Climate Data in the Sustainable Asset Valuation
Connecting authoritative data on climate in Europe and the rest of the world to the Sustainable Asset Valuation model to generate sophisticated analyses on the costs of climate-related risks and climate-related externalities.
Mainstreaming Sustainable Public Procurement through the Introduction of Product Service Systems in the Western Cape
This project will introduce product service systems in the Western Cape, South Africa, as a specific tool to implement sustainable public procurement.
Green Public Procurement in China: Making the case for implementation through the quantification of the potential economic, social and environmental multiplier benefits
IISD and green public procurement stakeholders in China are of the view that the awareness of Chinese policy-makers needs to be raised about the positive externalities and the positive environmental, social and economic multipliers that could be realized through GPP.
Green Public Procurement in Bhutan: A cross sectoral strategy for sustainable industrial competitiveness
Establishing a strategic approach to scaling up public demand for environmentally and socially preferable goods, services and infrastructure in Bhutan.
Explore our work
Toward Strategic Public Procurement in Latin America and the Caribbean
This paper presents four best practice case studies and key ingredients of procurement reform to enable the shift toward strategic public procurement for sustainable development.
Handbook for INGP Public Procurers / Manual para Agentes de Compras Públicas de las RICG
This handbook will guide government procurers on the design of procurement policies and preferential purchasing programs that will crowd-in SMEs, minority suppliers and women-owned enterprises.
Public Procurement in Canada’s Trade Agreements
Imagine this: A municipality pledges to make all of its buildings carbon-neutral by 2050.
Moving Towards Sustainable Performance-Based Procurement in the Western Cape
Read this report to discover how public procurement is no longer a back-office function anymore, but a crucial pillar for delivering government services, and a strategic one for tackling climate change.
Implementing Sustainable Public Procurement in South Africa: Where to start
This report investigates the extent of policy space for the practical uptake of sustainable public procurement (SPP) in South Africa.
How Green Public Procurement Became a Crucial Pillar for Bhutan’s Sustainable Development Strategy
The Government of Bhutan has embraced the value of green public procurement (GPP) and is setting an example for other countries of how to leverage the power of the public purse to advance sustainable development. IISD led the GPP in Bhutan (GPPB) project and is proud to have contributed to this transformation.
The Role of Public Procurement in Deploying Sustainable Infrastructure
This report discusses how to maximise value-for-money when procuring sustainable infrastructure.
Low-Carbon Innovation for Sustainable Infrastructure: The role of public procurement
This report discusses how to leverage the power of public procurement laws, policies and practices to drive low-carbon innovation in the construction and infrastructure sectors.
Lack of competition with new GBP 600 million public procurement deal
An online one-stop shop is a great opportunity for sustainable procurement, but the Yorkshire–Amazon example holds some cautionary notes.
Sustainable Asset Valuation of the Kalivaç and Poçem Hydropower Projects
The SAVi results suggest that the hydropower assets cannot be considered a preferable solution to generate electricity for the Albanian people.
Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) of Senegal’s Saloum Delta
The assessment provides an economic valuation of the contribution of the Saloum Delta to local livelihoods and regional development.
Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) of a Public Bicycle Sharing System in Dwarka, New Delhi, India: A focus on the environmental, social and economic impacts of non-motorized transport infrastructure
This SAVi assessment values the environmental, social and economic benefits generated by a public bicycle sharing system. Its results demonstrate how the transport system delivers to sustainable mobility targets in Delhi.
An Application of the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) Methodology in Sri Lanka: Assessing the economic value of restoring the ecological health of Beira Lake in Colombo
The SAVi assessment quantifies the economic value of investing into different ecological restoration options for South-West Beira Lake in Colombo and makes a strong case for such investments given the positive effects on property values and recreational value of the lake.
Plastic Waste in Canada: A daunting economic and environmental threat or an opportunity for sustainable public procurement?
This commentary explores how sustainable public procurement can play a crucial role in advancing environmental and economic sustainable development in Canada's waste sector.
An Application of the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) Methodology to Pelly's Lake and Stephenfield Reservoir, Manitoba, Canada
This report provides a valuation of the ecosystem services in Stephenfield Reservoir and Pelly's Lake in Manitoba, Canada.
Measuring the Benefits of Green Public Procurement in Canada: Evidence from the IISD GPP Model
The IISD GPP Model demonstrates that green public procurement has significant benefits for the Canadian taxpayer.
Experts
Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder
Vice-President, Global Strategies and Managing Director, Europe
Liesbeth Casier
Lead, Public Procurement and Sustainable Infrastructure Policy and Coordinator of the NBI Global Resource Centre
Céline Bak
Associate
Andrea Bassi
Senior Associate
Kieran McDougal
Associate
Marina Ruete
Associate
Laura Turley
Associate
David Uzsoki
Lead, Sustainable Finance
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