Procura+ Campaign
Procura+ is an initiative designed to help support public authorities in implementing Sustainable Procurement – and help promote their achievements.
The Campaign was established in 2004 by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability to help drive the mainstreaming of sustainable public procurement. Through participating in the Campaign, public authorities can contribute to a growing international movement and help bring about real change on the market.
Read more on:
- The benefits of joining the Campaign
- How to join the Campaign
- The Procura+ Key Criteria
- The Procura+ Milestones
The Power of Procurement
Communities all over the world are facing the dramatic consequences of climate change, excessive use of natural resources, threats to biodiversity and increasing poverty. Our unsustainable consumption practices are at the heart of all of these problems. Sustainable procurement – spending public money responsibly on products and services that foster sustainable development – must therefore be a priority.
Sustainable procurement means thinking carefully about what you buy: buying only what you really need, purchasing products and services with high environmental performance, and considering the social and economic impacts of your procurement.
Public authorities in Europe spend €1.5 trillion a year on goods and services equivalent to 16% of EU GDP. From constructing energy efficient public buildings to buying low emission vehicles, from buying organic or Fair Trade food to installing water-saving toilets public procurement can have a huge impact in driving the market towards sustainability.
The European Commission and GPP
The European Commission is strongly promoting green public procurement (GPP) within the European Union Member States. A new website has been set up which contains a great deal of useful information on the topic, including the Commission's Handbook on GPP - Buying Green [pdf-file].