In the European Union, green public procurement can become the key to the decarbonization of the bloc's construction and road transport.
This is stated in a new study by the Stockholm Environment Institute, technical specialist Hasan Akbulut reports on LinkedIn.
It is noted that EU member states have a fragmented approach to environmental public procurement. This makes public authorities important players in the market, and the sector itself has the potential to mitigate the effects of climate change.
"Government purchases of goods and services cause about 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In the EU, public procurement accounts for 15% of GDP, acting as a major market influencer through goods and services purchased by the government from local to national levels," the report said.
Akbulut emphasized that the construction and transport sectors account for about 12% of greenhouse gas emissions from public procurement worldwide.
He stressed that while most EU countries recognize the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to meet climate goals, there are very few mandatory requirements to encourage governments to adopt these practices. Public procurement policy and climate goals need greater coherence.
The study notes that the current practice of public procurement does not allow using their potential for decarbonization and achieving climate goals. For this you need:
- establish general mandatory requirements and enforcement mechanisms covering operational and embedded emissions;
- develop standardized reporting methods;
- increase the number of tools, resources and training;
- expand cooperation and exchange of knowledge;
- coordinate policies.
As EcoPolitic reported before, in the global fight against climate change, it is important to review the standards of world trade policy. The solution lies in increasing taxes for "dirty" goods and exempting green from tariffs.
