This guide introduces the concept of life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA). The publication includes eight case studies to illustrate how current and emerging life cycle assessment techniques are being implemented worldwide from Asia through Europe and Latin America.

As there already exist plenty of material and information sources on green criteria for tenders, the guidelines provide advice on relevant management aspects from the definition of needs to contract management and interaction with other contracts or departments, in order to improve efficiency and coherence in procurement practices and management, but it also provides reference to green tender criteria sources).

In order to monitor progress on the level of implementation of the GPP Action Plan of the Spanish Central Government and its autonomous bodies, the Spanish Ministry of the Environment hired the monitoring of the GPP Action Plan.
Last 4th of November, the Council of Ministries approved the Agreement that notes the first report on the level of GPP, that summarizes the preliminary results gathered from 49 organisations through a questionnaire.

Reading Borough Council identified high levels of NOx emissions resulting from road traffic and in 2009 launched an air quality action plan to try and tackle this issue. In 2012, the Council carried out an open, technology neutral tender for a number of services using eight shuttle buses to link key sites within the Town. Technical specifications set a minimum Euro 4 emission standard (as second- hand vehicles could be offered) but companies offering higher emissions standards scored points in the award phase, as did those who put forward innovative options to improve environmental performance. The winning bidder offered a service using new CNG powered buses, with an EEV emissions standard. The gas used to power the vehicles is 100% certified biomethane produced in the UK. NOx emissions are an estimated 30-50% lower than the Euro V diesel bus models available at the time the tender was launched. The services began in April 2013 and due to a 20% passenger increase, ten buses in total are now used.

As a council responsible for providing over 1.3 million school meals a year, East Ayrshire has a lot on its hands. A growing awareness of the health, environmental, social and economic impacts of those meals led it to adopt a new procurement strategy in 2008. The focus was to be on fresh, unprocessed and organic ingredients. An EU-level tender incorporated all these elements, and has had lead to increase take up of school meals as well as other positive results. Independent research carried out by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency indicated that the CO2 emission savings associated with the change in food sourcing for one school alone amounts to 37.7 tonnes per annum. East Ayrshire was also the winner of an Association for Public Service Excellence award in 2011.

The Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa is responsible for the operation and upkeep of a number of buildings in Donostia-San Sebastian, the province’s capital. As part of its environmental strategy, the Council aims to incorporate GPP criteria across a range of its contracts. The high impact associated with heating, cooling, lighting, waste and other aspects of building operation and maintenance make this a priority area for GPP. In 2010 a tender was published for the maintenance of two properties – one residential and one office building. With help from Ihobe (Basque Environmental Management Agency), the Council implemented criteria relating to the skills and experience of the personnel in providing environmentally friendly building maintenance. Contract performance clauses also addressed the waste management plan of the contractor and environmental reporting requirements.

The town of Venelles near Aix-en-Provence has made a strong commitment to reducing its environmental footprint. As part of this commitment, the Mayor and Council of Venelles have supported the implementation of a comprehensive GPP policy since 2007, covering most municipal procurement projects. A recent tender for cleaning products offered the opportunity to put this policy into action. By including criteria for the environmental performance of the products used in its schools, Venelles was able to achieve a healthier setting for students and staff while also reducing the impact associated with the production and packaging of products. A majority of the products purchased are eco-labelled and fully biodegradable. 96 percent of all the products supplied come in refillable packs and with environmentally friendly packaging. Training has also been provided to cleaning personnel on how to use reduced amounts of the products and water.

In 2010, the Provincial Council of Toledo in central Spain adopted a declaration on SPP, established an action plan and a committee to oversee implementation. The procurement of forest products, such as timber, paper and cork has been the first major area of focus for the Council. A tender for outdoor benches to be placed in various municipalities implemented criteria related to the sustainable sourcing of timber. In 2011, 926 certified wood benches were procured for 127 municipalities, which meant a total investment of €140,000. Sustainability criteria are now being extended to further product groups such as cleaning services, catering and IT equipment. Toledo’s Environmental Service is offering advice and assistance to other public authorities in the province.

In 2006, the Danish Government launched the national Governmental Procurement Programme, which aims to streamline the public tendering process and standardise services provided to national government departments and agencies. Under the umbrella of this programme, in January 2012 the Danish Agency for the Modernisation of Public Administration launched a joint framework contract for cleaning services in Denmark’s government departments and agencies. The tender for cleaning services sets out minimum environmental requirements that will need to be met by service providers working with all government departments and agencies. The framework contract is divided into five lots, each of which covers government departments and agencies located in one of the country’s five regions. Five companies were selected through the pre-qualification process to deliver cleaning services that utilize ecolabelled products, use reduced amounts of water and energy as well as minimize hazards to human health and the environment.