Europe’s public authorities are major consumers. By using their purchasing power to choose environmentally friendly goods, services and works, they can make an important contribution to sustainable consumption and production – what is called as Green Public Procurement (GPP) or green purchasing.
Although GPP is a voluntary instrument, it has a key role to play in the EU’s efforts to become a more resource-efficient economy. It can help stimulate a critical mass of demand for more sustainable goods and services which otherwise would be difficult to get onto the market. GPP is therefore a strong stimulus for eco-innovation.
To be effective, GPP requires the inclusion of clear and verifiable environmental criteria for products and services in the public procurement process. The European Commission and a number of European countries have developed guidance in this area, in the form of national GPP criteria. The challenge of furthering take- up by more public sector bodies so that GPP becomes common practice still remains. As does the challenge of ensuring that green purchasing requirements are somewhat compatible between Member States – thus helping create a level playing field that will accelerate and help drive the single market for environmentally sound goods and services.
GPP helps to
- Choose an experienced and qualified service operator
- Increase the quality of services, e.g. materials
- Have a complex solution solving issues like micro plastics etc
- Maintenance tracked and done by service operator
- Ensure the best recycling of materials
- Leave full quality responsibility to the operator
- Most important, use and enjoy the field, leave the rest to the operator
