Background

Public authorities (like Ministries, regional and local Authorities) are important consumers of IT appliances, electricity, vehicles and so on in Europe. They are spending some 16 % of the EU’s gross domestic product.
The buyer can use their purchasing power when they opt for goods and services that also respect the environment. Doing this, the buyers can make an important contribution towards sustainable development.
Green public procurement covers areas such as the purchase of energy-efficient computers and building components, lighting equipment, recyclable paper, clean vehicles, environment-friendly public transport, electricity stemming from renewable energy sources, household appliances or air conditioning systems complying with state of the art environmental solutions.

Green purchasing is furthermore about setting an example and influencing the market place. By promoting green procurement, big buyers can provide industry with real incentives for developing green technologies. In some product, works and service sectors, the impact can be particularly significant, as public purchasers command a large share of the market (e.g. in IT equipment, energy-efficient building components, lighting).

Finally, if one considers life-cycle costs of goods and service, green procurement allows one to save money and protect the environment at the same time. Through purchasing, one can save materials, energy, reduce waste and pollution, and boost sustainable patterns of behaviour.

Green public procurement is a systematic process that should be done step by step.

Step 1:
Consider which products, services or works are the most suitable on the basis both of their environmental impact and of other factors, such as the information you have, what is on the market, the technologies available, costs and visibility.

Step 2:
Clarify your needs and express them appropriately. Choose a green title to communicate your policy to the outside world. It is a good way to ensure transparency for potential suppliers or service providers and for the citizens you are serving.

Step 3:
Draw up clear and precise technical specifications, using energy labels and / or environmental factors where possible.
These energy labels and technical specifications you will find for special areas in the guidelines and master performance description.

Step 4:
Establish selection criteria based on the exhaustive list of criteria mentioned in the public procurement directives (Directive 2004/17/EC, Directive 2004/18/EC). Where appropriate include environmental criteria to prove technical capacity to perform the contract. Inform potential suppliers, service providers or contractors that they can use environmental management schemes and declarations to prove compliance with the criteria.

You will find selection criteria for special areas in the guidelines and master performance description.

Step 5:
Lay down the award criteria (in accordance with the procurement Directives of the European Union) of the ‘economically most advantageous tender’. Then you have to define relevant environmental criteria either as a benchmark to compare green offers with each other (in the case where the technical specifications define the contract as being green). The other possibility is that you take the relevant environmental criteria as a way of introducing an environmental element (in the case where the technical specifications define the contract in a ‘neutral’ way) and give it a certain weighting. Do not forget to consider the life cycle costing.

Step 6:
Using contract performance clauses is a way of setting relevant additional environmental conditions in addition to the green contract. The contractor will than be obliged to fulfil all performance clauses of the contract. It would be an optimum if you can insist on environment-friendly transport methods.