In a recent journal article, procurement researchers addressed the still limited uptake of the adoption of Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP). The article calls to push for behavioural and organisational changes in the ways contracting authorities perform their buying functions to maximise positive, sustainable impacts. It is critical to change procurement management practices so that the sustainability demanded in contracts is properly verified along the entire supply chain and remedial actions are taken where non-compliance is detected.

How?

The researchers identified three levers, namely that the EU invest significantly in the professionalisation of contracting officials, procurement strategists and financial auditors as well as that the EU make it mandatory for contracting authorities to map and monitor their supply chains for risks of breaches of environmental and social rules, including those protecting human rights. And that the EU make the legislative environment more ‘SPP friendly’. 

The papers emphasises the impact of those levers by drawing on specific examples. One of which is the work ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability is doing on Sustainable Procurement. Our work enables communication among experts and practitioners on SPP issues, as well as provide external support to strongly help change agents in their attempts to drive SPP in their respective organisations.

Read the full article here.