UNEP, ICLEI, KEITI: Reducing GHG Emissions through Sustainable Public Procurement
UNEP, ICLEI–Local Governments for Sustainability, and the Korean Environmental Institute for Technology and Innovation (KEITI) hosted a session at the Cities & Regions Pavilion – TAP2015 at COP21 on 5 December at 17.30. The session raised awareness about the potential of sustainable public procurement (SPP) as a tool to reduce GHG emissions. The discussion focused on how to measure the GHG emissions of public procurement. Three members of the 10YFP on SPP program presented case studies from Europe, Asia and North America that illustrate the role SPP can play in reducing emissions.
The goal of the 10 YFP on SPP programme is to build the case for SPP on a global scale and support the implementation of SPP on the ground. The session allowed UNEP, ICLEI, the Korean Environmental Institute for Technology and Innovation (KEITI) and the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) to showcase practical ways to reduce GHG emissions through SPP and effectively monitor the positive impacts.
Farid Yaker, SPP Programme Officer UNEP, announced a declaration endorsed by a number of partners of the 10YFP on SPP Programme and participants of a November 2015 meeting on green procurement in Seoul. The goals of the Declaration include highlighting sustainable public procurement as a public policy tool for achieving national climate commitments, and emphasizing that aligned action of public and private sectors on sustainable procurement will accelerate achievement of widely shared climate goals.
Presentations and an open discussion session underlined the importance of monitoring and communicating benefits of SPP. Jason Pearson (Executive Director, Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council), Simon Clement (Coordinator Sustainable Economy and Procurement, ICLEI), and Hyunju Lee (Associated Researcher, KEITI) all made the case that data is crucial for informing policy and getting buy-in for implementing SPP. Discussion focused on the need to develop standards and expand the dissemination of them to procurers and other purchasing decision-makers. There are also many lessons to be learned from existing practice and the use of case studies can be powerful communication tool for encouraging SPP.
The 10YFP programme on Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) is a global platform that supports the implementation of SPP around the world. It brings together 87 partners of governments, international organizations, NGOs, consultancies, private sector representatives, and experts in more than 40 different countries. The program aims to build the case for SPP by improving knowledge on SPP and its effectiveness as a tool to promote sustainable consumption and production, and supporting greener economies and sustainable development.
The 10YFP on SPP also supports the implementation of SPP on the ground through increased collaboration, better access to capacity building tools, and support through SPP experts.
