PUBLIC PROCUREMENT NEWS

  

News

23 January 2014

UNEP review of global status of SPP and GPP finds positives, barriers

A global review of the degree to which sustainable public procurement (SPP) and green public procurement (GPP) are being implemented by national governments has been carried out by UNEP, detailing both positive trends and persistent barriers. Overall, there is an increased commitment to SPP/GPP compared to previous years and greater international cooperation among procurement networks, with the result being a boost to the emerging green economy.

The main barriers to the uptake of SPP/GPP include the perception that green products are more costly than conventional products, and a lack of clarity over determining the environmental credentials of one product in comparison to another. This is partly attributable to a large increase in the number of ecolabels and standards in the past years, making the market place more difficult to navigate.

The report concludes by saying that a set of internationally agreed and recognised principles and assessment systems is needed for procurement of sustainability, as well as a global set of indicators. The drivers, challenges and trends in SPP/GPP are explored in-depth within the report.

To view the document, click here.