The Global Organic Textile Standard Conference will take place in New Delhi, India the 8 November 2017. It will be held as a pre-conference to the 19th Organic World Congress (OWC) by IFOAM - Organics International and will address the topic of social compliances in textiles.

The one-day conference will bring together top business leaders, chief sustainability officers, social compliance experts and practitioners, standards-setters, regulators and policy-makers and other key stakeholders interested in the topic. It will see the participation of IFOAM, WRAP, SAI and other experts which will share the latest updated in social compliance. The conference will include sessions for participants new to the topic on how to develop efficient compliance management systems.

For more information about the conference and registration, please visit the conference website.

This conference, organized by the Public Procurement Authority of Hungary and part of Hungary’s V4 presidency 2017-2018, will take place in Budapest, Hungary. The conference will discuss procurement practices and bring together public procurers, consultants and different relevant personalities working in the field of sustainable and innovative public procurement from all over Europe.

Some of the topics covered include comprehensiveness and integrity in procurement, transparency, strategic objective in public procurement and public procurement in the circular economy. Not only, but presentations will be given on the topic of simplification and reduction of administrative burden and revision of the remedies directives, i.e. remedies ensuring fair play in procurement.

For more information and to register to the event visit the event’s webpage.

This webinar will explain how to identify and procure food service ware products that are devoid of toxic and persistent grease-resistant compounds these chemicals of concern and which are also reusable, compostable, or easily recyclable.

Points of discussion will include which types of food service ware products are considered environmentally preferable; discussion over policies, strategies, and resources to help purchasers identify safer food service ware products.

This webinar is designed for sustainability, procurement, recycling, and food service staff.

You can register for the event via WebEx.

This study visit will be kindly hosted by the Municipality of Cremona and take place in Cremona (Italy) between 20-23 November 2017. Participants will be engaged in the European Waste Management week exploring food and organic resources, waste management collection systems, circular economy topics, including procurement.

The programme is available here.

The UrbanWINS project started in June 2016 and analyses the waste prevention and management strategies of 24 cities, while performing pilot activities in 8 European cities which seek to increase citizens' involvement in local decisions around waste and resources. CityMatch is one of the collaborative pilot activities within UrbanWINS where study visits are organised so that technical and policy staff at local authorities can share experiences and initiatives of mutual interest with each other in a structured staff exchange.

For more information or to register to the study visit check the project’s website.

The Valencia Conama Local Valencia 2017, taking place the 27 - 29 November, in Valencia (Spain) is a forum for debate and work between professionals and agents involved, which aim to align local policies with the Global Agenda 2030 and the Paris Commitment to Fight and Adapt to Climate Change.

Among various topics related to sustainable development, the 29 November, the event will include a session on sustainable, green and innovative public procurement and circular economy.

Please note the event will be held in Spanish.

To register for the event please visit the event’s webpage.

On 10 August, the European Commission published new Green Public Procurement (GPP) Criteria for furniture, covering new furniture products as well as refurbishment and end-of-life services (such as collection and reuse), updating Criteria issued in 2008. The inclusion of refurbishment and end-of-life services aim at extending the lifespan of furniture purchased by public sector entities, and at the same time reinforce and contribute to the EU’s circular economy principles and policies.

This webinar will provide an introduction to the newly revised EU GPP Criteria for furniture related purchases from the developers of the guidance. This will include details on the sustainability 'hotspots' which can be tackled through procurement, as well as the broader scope of coverage (of the new GPP Criteria) and how ‘circularity’ is addressed.

A couple of public sector procurers will also be featured in the webinar to share their first hand experiences of carrying out GPP for this high-priority public spend area.

You can register to the webinar via WebEx.

This event, taking place the 7 December in London, will focus on precarious labour in the electronics industry and explore ways in which public sector buyers can help protect the rights of workers in unreliable and often abusive forms of employment.

As in previous years, the Conference will feature leading practitioners in the field of socially responsible public procurement, experts in international labour rights, and grassroots workplace monitors from electronics production regions around the world.

Electronics workers in precarious forms of employment earn low wages, work unpredictable hours, may not be properly trained for hazardous work, and risk losing their jobs and sometimes residency permits should they speak up for their rights. They may be employed legally or illegally, directly or indirectly for the factory where they work. They may be migrants or local workers, student workers or trainees, and work in any country. Electronics Watch highlights the challenges of precarious work in factories that make the electronic goods public sector organisations buy and helps to develop solutions that involve local civil society organisations, trade unions, electronics brands, and factories.

If you wish to register and for more information, visit the event’s page.

The event will take place on 7 December 2017 in Brussels, at the Committee of Regions and will officially launch the EU Cities for Fair and Ethical Trade Award.

The EU Cities for Fair and Ethical Trade Award is an initiative of the European Commission, which the Directorate-General for Trade (DG Trade) launched as a commitment of its "Trade for all" communication on trade and investment policy, published in 2015. The Award is part of EU’s efforts to raise awareness about how purchasing decisions of EU consumers can affect the environment and livelihoods of people in other countries – and the role that cities and local authorities must play.

The launch event will include presentations followed by Q&A and a buffet.

Registration will be closing on the 30th of November.

You can find more information on the Awards website or register to the event here.

This webinar will highlight recommendations from The Meat of the Matter: A Municipal Guide to Climate-Friendly Food Purchasing, a new resource developed by Friends of the Earth and the Responsible Purchasing Network.

Topics will include environmental, health, and financial benefits of transitioning institutional purchasing towards more plant-based foods; how to develop a climate-friendly food procurement policy and standards; and how to design an implementation plan, conduct staff training, update bid solicitation language, and track progress.

You can register to the webinar here.

This discussion, taking place the 14 December in Brussels, will explore the progress made to date by businesses and EU institutions on resource efficiency and debate priority areas of action for the years to come.

The sessions will include a presentation on Circular Procurement, exploring concepts and ideas related to the topic, including references to circular procurement examples.

With the Circular Economy Package and its Action Plan nearing completion and with businesses needing long-term policy certainty to invest in new business models, this event will mark the launch of the Aldersgate Group’s latest briefing on resource efficiency. This briefing will feature a range of new business case studies on the circular economy, together with recommendations on policy priorities beyond the end of the Circular Economy Package.

Please note that due to limited room capacity, places will be confirmed by Thursday 30th November.

For more information and to register visit the event's page.