Stadt Zürich
Zürich is the largest Swiss city with approximately 350,000 inhabitants and a public procurement budget of over €1.2 billion per year. The city has had sustainability as a specific target on its political agenda since 1998. The procurement guideline (November 2007) is subtitled "Our Engagement with Sustainability" and states as vision/goals that "The City of Zurich conducts its procurement activities according to the principles of sustainable procurement. With our economic, social and ecological commitments we lead by example."
Sustainable Procurement Activities
The City has produced a number of notable achievements in the field. In 2002 the 7 Milestones for Energy and Resource Efficient Building Construction and Management were established, incorporating several energy standards used in Switzerland and across Europe, notably the MINERGIE standard. Between 2002 and 2008 approximately 70% of new buildings and 30% of refurbished meetings met the MINERGIE standards for energy efficiency, this is equivalent to 230,000 m2 of new buildings and 110,000 m2 of refurbished buildings which meet the MINERGIE standards for energy efficiency. More information on this can be found in the case study [pdf-file]
In 2008 € 3.3 million was spent on approximately 5,700 computers all meeting the Procura+ standards while € 650,000 were spent on organic food for hospitals, nursing homes and homes for elderly people.
Zürich has been a Procura+ participant since 2004, following the City's involvement in the RELIEF project.
