The Finnish government has released a new report entitled, Carbon Footprint Calculators for Public Procurement, as part of an EU Life project, Julia2030. Several municipalities in the Helsinki region together with the Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority and a number of expert organisations are involved in the project, which aims to develop calculators for different sectors in municipalities.

The report seeks to help procurers take the climate impacts of products into account and thus increase the procurement of products with relatively low climate impacts. One subproject deals with the procurement of products, and carbon footprint calculators were developed for six product groups: office and tissue paper, laptop computers, office seating solutions, incontinence products and outdoor lighting products.

These calculators are intended for use in tender calls, as attachments that the bidders must deliver together with their bid. The carbon footprint would be used as an award criterion. The tools that will be made available include the report mentioned above, calculators, instructions for each calculator, a guidebook on climatically sound public procurement and a website. There are also plans to integrate the calculators in several public procurement cases and test these tools in calls for tender in the Julia2030 partner municipalities.

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