Sustainable Procurement in the Province of Zeeland
Zeeland has been succesfully implementing sustainability in its public tenders, based on these key principles:
- Setting ambitions in advance - Clear objectives and sustainability criteria are defined at the planning stage of procurement
- Transparency - Zeeland is transparent about the expectations and results of each of its projects
- Early identfication of risks and opportunities - Early diagnostics minimise risks and ensure that opportunities are fully utilised
- Stimulating the local market - The province works together with local suppliers, promoting regional economic growth
- Sustainable Development Goals - Zeeland integrates the SDG's as a compass, seeking to integrate them in all its tenders to create impact
Key Achievements
- Monitoring and offsetting CO2 emissions - Since 2012, Zeeland has monitored its annual CO2 emissions and offset them through contributions to the Zeeland Climate Fund
- Responsible public procurement plan .- The plan prioritises suppliers offering sustainable products such as organic or reusable materials, which help reduce CO2 emissions
- Fleet electrification - The province aims for its municipal fleet to use HVO 100 biofuel by 2025
- Green Energy and Sustainable Buildings - Zeeland promotes the use of green electricity and green gas. It is also retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency by improving insulation and installing solar panels.
- Energy-Efficient Infrastructure - Public lighting & traffic systems upgraded with LED technology for
energy savings - Innovation Network for Circular Construction - A triple-helix knowledge, development, and cooperation center bringing together the Province, businesses, and scientists
Continous improvement - By incorporating sustainable principles into its public tenders, in 2024 the province of Zeeland avoided 2,9 million kilogram of CO2 emission and 31,3 million kilograms of primary materials
Procura+ Award
In 2021, the Province of Zeeland won the Procura+ Award in the category Procurement Initiative of the Year for using the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) as compass for each procurement. In 2017, the Province of Zeeland started working with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to reflect on the contribution that public procurement could make to the UN SDGs- Based on existing policy goals, ability to monitor and in alignment with local initiatives, the focus was set on 7 SDGs. For each of the 7 goals, concrete impact targets were embedded in the Sustainable procurement plan 2021-2024 and monitored results will be shared on the sustainable procurement platform.
Do you want to know more about how the Province of Zeeland is working with Sustainable Public Procurement? Take a look at their presentation!
Opportunities forcollaboration
- Partnerships in European programs and projects - Zeeland seeks strategic alliances to participate in EU-funded initiatives, focusing on climate adaptation, circular economy, and infrastructure innovation, aiming to strengthen both regional and European sustainability efforts.
- Knowledge exchange across sectors - Zeeland promotes sharing expertise and best practices between governments, industry and knowledge institutions to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and resilient economy.
- Innovation for a greener Zeeland - The province seeks to integrate new technologies and expand circular economy practices to make its enterprises more future-proof and make the region more sustainable