According to a report from Environmental Protection Agency, less than a fifth (or less) of the contracts that are being offered by government departments for works do not include “green criteria”.
The EPA stated that it was a “missed chance” that only 17% (or 53m) of contracts exceeding 25,000, which totalled some 320m, were deemed to meet green criteria. Green Public Procurement (GPP), is a process by which public authorities seek to source goods and services with a lower environmental impact.
Green Public Procurement is an important part of our transition from a linear economy to a circular one. It supports the creation of new markets for sustainable goods. More information: https://t.co/jry2PwOKEH#circulareconomy pic.twitter.com/Wp0zIUwUcp
— EPA Ireland (@EPAIreland) April 8, 2022
Priority contracts were awarded to various departments for projects that involved transport, construction, energy and food and catering, as well as cleaning and information technology (IT).
The EPA’s report now recommends that departments ensure that public funds are used only for procurement that includes green criteria.
Laura Burke, EPA director general, stated that the purchasing power of Ireland’s government sector has the potential to reduce emissions and protect the environment. It also allows for savings over the entire lifecycle of goods or services.
“Government commitments towards green purchasing send a powerful message to the market that the government requires goods, works and services that make the best possible contribution to the environment and that can save money over their entire lifecycle. It encourages innovation in the marketplace for goods or services that have a lower environmental impact.
“The low level in which Green Public Procurement is being implemented by government departments is a missed chance to purchase more resource-efficient and less polluting goods and services within the marketplace.
The report was the first to be done by the EPA on green procurement. In addition, all 18 departments provided data about contracts exceeding 25,000 dollars in 2020.
The EPA reported that there was significant variation in the percentage of spend on green criteria contracts between departments. Some departments reported 0% while others reported 100%.
A Department of Public Expenditure circular dated 2019 states that “each Department shall state in their next Corporate Procurement Plan whether it intends to use Green Criteria in upcoming procurement processes”, and “each Department must annually report on its green public procurement.”
The EPA recommended that senior staff be responsible for green criteria and that staff from departments receive training.
