What is Sustainable Public Procurement [SPP]?

On the occasion of World Environment Day, the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) established a new product category of Green Room Air Conditioners as part of the Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) initiative.

About Sustainable Public Procurement

When acquiring goods, services, or works, Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) is a method by which public authorities aim to create an optimal balance between the three pillars of sustainability - social, environmental, and economic - at all stages of the project.

This initiative can save money for government purchases by switching to a circular economy while also meeting increasing environmental issues. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has worked to promote SPP at the regional, national, and global levels since 2005.

India spends roughly 15-20% of its GDP on public procurement. The addition of Sustainable Public Procurement to this massive amount of government procurement will help the country meet its climate policy goals.

Background of Sustainable Public Procurement

The UN Environment Program started implementing SPP in 2005. It has steadily but dramatically evolved.

Sustainable Public Procurement underwent methodological development to be implemented from 2009 to 2012. Uruguay, Tunisia, Colombia, Lebanon, Mauritius, Costa Rica, and Chile, were among the seven nations where UNEP tested the first technique.

Following the insights learned during the pilot phase, this method was revised in 2012. It became the UNEP SPP Implementation Guidelines.

Sustainable Public Procurement - Countries Implementing SPP Policices

Mauritius, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Costa Rica, Morocco, Chile, Ecuador, Argentina, Mongolia, Vietnam, and Cote d'Ivoire assisted in implementing and developing SPP. "Greening Economies in the European Union's Eastern Neighbourhood," a project funded by the EU, aided Moldova and Ukraine in successfully adopting SPP policies.

In addition, between 2013 and 2017, the UN Environmental Program issued two global studies on Sustainable Public Procurement to assess its current situation around the world. UNEP also aided with the launch of the One Planet SPP program in 2014, and it also has had a hand in managing it since then.

Need for Sustainable Public Procurement

The 13th Finance Commission of India emphasized the importance of future growth with smaller resources and environmental footprints. As a result, the government directs departments and ministries of the central government to obtain goods and services for inclusion in GeM.

1. India spends roughly 15-20% of its GDP on public procurement.
2. The addition of SPP to this massive amount of government procurement will help the country meet its climate policy goals.
3. By migrating to a circular economy, this invention can save money for government purchases while also meeting increasing environmental issues.

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Since 2005, the United Nations Environment Programme has actively promoted Sustainable Public Procurement at the global, national, and regional levels.

As a result, the Indian government added Green Room Air Conditioners to its e-Marketplace under the Sustainable Public Procurement program.

FAQs on Sustainable Public Procurement

Q.1. What are the four pillars of long-term Sustainable Public Procurement?

Society, environment, culture, and economics are the four interconnected components of sustainable development under Sustainable Public Procurement.

Q.2. What exactly is the goal of Sustainable Public Procurement?

Sustainable Public Procurement aims to promote resource conservation and responsible use by including renewable materials into platforms where possible and by reducing waste.

Q.3. What are the primary objectives of a long-term Sustainable Public Procurement policy?

Environmental protection, Keeping macroeconomic conditions stable, Providing and maintaining high public health and safety standards, and Increasing the availability of resources to offer critical public infrastructure and services are the primary objectives of Sustainable Public Procurement.

Q.4. Why is Sustainable Public Procurement a long-term strategy?

By ensuring that supply chains safeguard and reward their employees, Sustainable Public Procurement can help to alleviate poverty.

Q.5. What does it mean to have a long-term strategy in Sustainable Public Procurement?

Sustainable Public Procurement refers to how public institutions suit their needs for goods, services, and works to provide long-term value for money in terms of producing benefits to the institution but also to society and the economy while minimizing environmental damage.