ICLEI's European Secretariat hosted a delegation of Korean public sector and development organisations on 14 June to explore Green Public Procurement in policy and practice in European cities and regions. The delegation, organised by the Korean Environmental Industry and Technology Institute (KEITI), included representatives from Korean ministries, research institutes, city development corporations and several national agencies for tourism and shipping.

The visit focused on various aspects of sustainable public procurement, including GPP target setting, implementation strategies, monitoring mechanisms and the scope and definition of green product and service categories addressed by European GPP criteria. Mark Hidson, Global Director of ICLEI's Sustainable Procurement Centre, presented ICLEI's background in sustainable and innovation procurement and exemplified current GPP projects, platforms and initiatives on the European and global levels involving cities and local governments.

ICLEI and KEITI are partners in the Global Lead City Network on Sustainable Procurement, involving 14 cities acting as ambassadors for sustainable procurement to lead to a resource efficient, low carbon and socially responsible society. They also cooperate with UNEP on the 10 Year Framework Programme for Sustainable Consumption and Production.

For more information, visit the ICLEI Sustainable Economy and Procurement and KEITI websites.

The Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires has been working on the inclusion of sustainability criteria in public procurement processes since 2012. Amongst their achievements, having trained in sustainable procurement more than 400 purchasers within the Goods and Services Purchasing and Procurement System, having developed three SPP Recommendations Guides, and leading SPP processes both in Argentina and in the region.

Buenos Aires is already purchasing different products introducing sustainable criteria. When buying materials and electronic devices, the City aims at reducing energy consumption and to encourage the use of renewable energies. Requirements such as durability and waste management are considered when acquiring computer equipment. Buenos Aires adopted an electronic government management model in order to reduce the amount of paper used. For the printing paper that needs to be purchased, it is required that it derives from sugar cane making process or that it has specific certificates.

The City sets up new challenges for the future with the goal of stimulating the demand for more sustainable goods, services and businesses, by performing a role in the validation of suppliers that increasingly taking sustainable criteria into account.

To read the Sustainable Procurement Profile, visit here

Expected to be finished by 2024, Auckland’s City Rail Link (CRL) is the largest infrastructure project in the City and will cater for 30,000 passengers per hour at peak times on trains that will run every 10 minutes. In Auckland, transport is responsible for about 40% of GHG emissions – the majority from road transport. By offering commuters a new possibility, Auckland will reduce its footprint and will help New Zealand to meet its international commitments on climate change.

The CRL is a good example of sustainable procurement, as sustainability underpins the whole project from conception to construction. It is the first public transport project in New Zealand to measure carbon emissions associated with its construction and operation. It also aspires to achieve zero waste to landfill. The project also has a social component, by focusing on skills legacy, apprenticeships and new jobs for the unemployed.

Key sustainability initiatives planned for the street tunnels over the project lifetime include the use of LED street-lighting, installing tree pits in the street to collect and filter stormwater runoff, and switching from diesel generators to grid electricity during construction. Furthermore, sustainability is embedded into the management systems.