Philip Nugent
Director General for EU and International Affairs, Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
Green public procurement is one of the important areas that can help Ireland become a more resource-efficient and circular economy.
In Ireland, public bodies (excluding utilities) spend an estimated €18.5 billion a year on goods, services and works. This significant spending power can spur innovation and stimulate the creation and provision of more resource-efficient, less polluting goods, services and works within the marketplace. Embedding green public procurement across the public sector is a commitment in the programme for the Government.
Sustainable, value-driven procurement
Whether it is procuring construction-related works or goods such as vehicles, information and communications technology (ICT) equipment, textiles and cleaning products, our citizens need to be sure that what is purchased from our public sector not only represents both short-term and long-term value for money but also has minimal harmful effects on our environment and society. Consideration also needs to be given to avoiding unnecessary purchases and re-thinking how demand can be met in a way that requires fewer or better value goods to be purchased or how resource-sharing, reuse or repair options can be availed of.
Embedding green public
procurement across the public
sector is a commitment.
Green procurement strategy launched
Last year, the Government launched a new green public procurement policy, ‘Buying Greener: Green Public Procurement Strategy and Action Plan 2024–2027.’ As well as setting out actions to drive the implementation of green and circular procurement practices across the public sector, the Strategy has a key sectoral focus with green public procurement targets included for a number of areas within the economy such as construction, food, ICT and textiles.
Remanufactured product procurement example
Recent actions to support green and circular public procurement include, for example, the establishment by the Office of Government Procurement of a new framework that allows public bodies to purchase remanufactured laptops. It is estimated that over the lifetime of the contract, valued at up to €30 million, approximately 60,000 remanufactured laptops could be purchased instead of new laptops, which will help to preserve resources, save water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Such an arrangement is a positive example of how public procurement can play a leadership role in supporting our transition to a circular economy.
