Market Lounge - 13 March

1. Jon Mikel Zabala-Iturriagagoitia, University of Deusto (ES), Lund University (Sweden), South-Eastern University (Norway) - Empowering contracting authorities to play a lead user role in public procurement
Major societal challenges require innovation. Public procurement is more likely to foster innovation than other policy instruments. However, contracting authorities encounter significant challenges when implementing public procurement for innovation (PPI). This roundtable highlights some of  the main obstacles encountered by public procurers and contracting authorities in their endeavours to implement PPI and identifies the ordinary, dynamic and functional capabilities necessary to effectively roll out PPI.

2. Angus Warren, Advanced Procurement for Universities & Colleges (APUC) - From Now to 2030 
Sharing the journey from leading on the creation of a national, all public sectors climate action planning and reporting tool in parallel with developing and implementing a University and College sector-wide Supply Chain Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy, then blending them together into an integrated solution to maximise effective climate action planning.

3. Aziza Yussupova, European Network of Social Integration Enterprises (ENSIE) - Revitalising Social Economy: Unleashing Potential Through Public Procurement
ENSIE  will highlight the role of public procurement in the social and professional integration of disadvantaged people and people with disabilities  within  social economy and work integration social enterprises (WISEs). Good practices and persisting challenges of public authorities to develop reserved contracts for WISEs and findings and key recommendations from the “Buying for social impact” project will be presented.

4. Helena O'Rourke-Potocki, ICLEI Europe, Making the most of a strategic lever: Strategic Public Procurement
In 2023, DG GROW launched its 'Procurement Dialogues' initiative aiming at organising workshops in all 27 Member States to encourage a dialogue on the use of strategic public procurement (green, social, and innovation). This session will provide key insights and trends from these strategic workshops and discuss how public procurement can be used as a strategic tool to holistically support environmental, social, and innovation policy goals.

5. Lucy Neville, Greater London Authority (Transport for London) - Reducing emissions from deliveries and logistics
The GLA Group is committed to supporting the Mayor of London’s 2030 net zero target and improving air quality. As part of its Responsible Procurement Programme, they are developing an approach to support emissions reductions requiring suppliers to use zero emission vehicles for last mile deliveries. At this roundtable session colleagues will share progress to date against their current approaches. They are keen to learn from other cities that may have adopted similar practices and the outcomes achieved.

6. Luana Swensson, FAO - Sustainable public food procurement and the role of local governments: potential, challenges and lessons learned from FAO
Within the wider context of SPP, food is receiving growing attention. FAO will share its overall approach to sustainable public food procurement (SPFP) including good practices and lessons learned from country experiences, such as from Manabi region in Ecuador. It will highlight the role of local governments, the importance of a global approach to the topic and recent tools developed to support this process, including the One Planet Network’s Interest Group on SPFP. 

7. Paula Rodrigues, Municipality of Torres Vedras - Sustainable Food School Program 
The Sustainable Food School Program works with a governance model for the management of school meals in a network between the territorial partners: five Municipal kitchens plus Public Local Authorities and Private Social Solidarity Institutions. The model is divided into four axes: Production – school gardens activities; Acquisition - purchases preferably from local producers and suppliers; Preparation - taking into account menus carefully; Consumption and Healthy Eating Habits – parallel activities for healthy food literacy and physical activity.

8. Matthew Baqueriza-Jackson and Sara Barroso, Municipality of Vila Nova de Famalicão - Using Public Procurement to Address Inequality
Cities across Europe are facing increasing challenges around inequality,  related to gender, age, disability, race, health, and/or income. Vila Nova de Famalicao and 8 other cities that are part of the URBACT funded GenProcure Action Planning Network believe that public procurement can be utilized to narrow inequalities. In this session, participants will find out how addressing inequality can be considered at each of the stages of the public procurement cycle.

9. Trine Amundsen, City of Oslo - Our battle against work related crime and child labour 
Since 2017, the City of Oslo has successfully implemented a model to regulate professional areas with a high risk of work-related crime, with contract provisions that promote fair and decent working life. In 2023, the introduction of due diligence assessments beyond the scope of the Openness Act is the biggest addition to the model,  proving that strict regulations and follow up benefit serious businesses.

10. Mónica Giménez, Ximena Lazo  and Cristhian Aznaran, Green Public Procurement Research Group University of Alcalá - Is Spanish public procurement green enough? An empirical study of school canteens. 
The analysis of 428 tenders from a broad sample (9 out of 17 Spanish regions) reveals that there is wide room for improvement in the greening of  school canteens, in line with the Farm to Fork strategy. The study identifies common mistakes and systematizes best practices throughout the entire contractual process to facilitate the greening transition.

11. Christian Tangene, DFØ - Norway's Transition to 30% Mandatory Environmental Weighting
Starting in January 2024, Norwegian public procurers will be legally obligated to apply a 30% mandatory weighting for climate and environmental considerations. DFØ plays a pivotal role in guiding the public sector through this significant legal transformation. This presentation will delve into its impact on Norwegian business development, the evolving landscape of public procurement, and the growing demand for expertise in Green Public Procurement (GPP).

12. Izaro Basurko, IHOBE -  Green Procurement in the Basque Country
Ihobe will show the successes in the implementation of Green Public Procurement in the Basque Country and the most outstanding results of its work: assistance to public entities for its implementation and the design of material resources, the improvement and increase in the number and economic volume of environmental specifications, as well as the creation of government instruction 1/2023.

13. Eleni LianouAntonis Saoulidis, Center for Security Studies (KE.ME.A), Hellenic Ministry of Citizen Protection - Procurement driven by innovation: the Lead Procurer's perspective
The legal aspects of the implementation of innovation procurements from the Lead Procurer’s perspective will be presented by Eleni Lianou and Antonis Saoulidis, Experts on Innovation Procurement- Research Associates at the Greek Center for Security Studies (KEMEA). With their extensive experience and perspective they will provide tips and insights on enabling and hindering factors, with special focus on the most important aspects of a joint innovation procurement.

14. Angeline Chartier, Wageningen University - How to decide upon circular cities? The use of circular assessment tool in local tender procedures
Based on the case study of the decision-making process of the Hezelpoort project in Nijmegen, The Netherlands (tower of 383 housing), we want to open a discussion about the use of circular assessment tool in a tender procedure of an urban project with circular ambition. What is the positive impact but also the limitations of the use of such tools on the circular ambitions in the built environment at the city level?

15. Silke Guggenbichler-Fellner, PPPI-Service Center, BBG - Procure2Innovate Network – The Network of Competence Centers for Innovation Public Procurement 
The Procure2Innovate Network is set up by national European competence centres for innovation public procurement. Competence Centres support innovative companies and public procurers with a wide range of services to do innovation public procurement and present  best practices  highlighting the  potential of  public procurement to innovate and contribute to  efficiency,  climate neutrality  or city, mobility, digitalization etc. The participants are welcome to discuss with the representatives of the Procure2Innovate Network  opportunities and  frameworks conditions for innovation public procurement. 

16. Juni Skjold Lexau, City of Bergen - Empowering Inclusive Employment: Bergen Municipality's Innovative Partnership with Nordnes verksteder
The city of Bergen has since 2017 consistently worked for inclusion of people outside the workforce through their contracts. At the end of 2022 they had more than 55 ongoing contracts with contract clauses of labor inclusion. Juni will share how they have collaborated with sheltered companies, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration and their suppliers to increase inclusion. She will also give an example of a reserved framework agreement with the sheltered company, Nordnes verksteder AS, and show how quite big contracts can be done reserved through collaboration. And how also other sustainability goals can be reached at the same time.

17. Laurence Cesbron, RESECO - Tools to move forward SPP! 
RESECO  will describe the work it has been doing to help political decision-makers and support staff to take action. The National Sustainable Procurement Plan sets a target of 100% of public procurement including an environmental dimension and 30% including a social dimension by 2026. The association relies on its 140 members, whose development it supports through the tools that will be  presented at this roundtable.

18. Mahmood Bhutta, Brighton & Sussex Medical School (UK) & Pauline Göthberg, Swedish Regions - Harnessing the power of Collaboration: Insights from the International Working Group on Ethical Public Procurement
This round table will  share information about the IWGEPP and discuss opportunities for collaboration with others to drive greater impact in ethical public procurement. IWGEPP wanst to see human rights as a natural and integrated part of public procurement processes globally. It will share  some practical tools   and raise the profile of these issues on the political and technical agendas of our governments and the EU as a whole IWGEPP’s ultimate aim is to make due diligence on human rights and sustainability a reality in public procurement.

19. Valentina Caimi, Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini - The social impact of procurement
The study ‘The social impact of procurement’ commissioned by the European Parliament highlighted that public procurement can produce social outcomes if a favourable legal framework is coupled with adequate policy frameworks, strategies ideally at national, regional and local level, capacity-building programmes, and monitoring and reporting frameworks. Examples from the most advanced ecosystems (e.g. Sweden and Spain) will be presented and persisting challenges identified in various Member States will be discussed

20. Kęstutis Kazulis, Public Procurement Office Republic of Lithuania - Challenges and solutions: Lithuania ‘s roadmap towards socially responsible public procurements
Public procurements is a powerful tool. In Lithuania we are determined to gradually transform our public procurement system and use it effectively in helping us to address social problems. Let’s talk about the data driven solutions towards sustainability.
 

21. Saritha Visvalingam, Greater London Authority - Increasing spend with smaller and diverse-owned business across public procurement
Micro, small, and medium enterprises (SMEs) and diverse-owned businesses are the backbone of any healthy economy - they drive growth, provide employment opportunities and open new markets. Public Procurement can support these businesses and benefit from the innovation, savings and flexibility they offer. Yet SMEs increasingly find it difficult to enter our supply chain. Join us to discuss the approach of the Greater London Authority  – overcoming the challenges and demonstrating success when procurements are designed with supplier diversity from the onset

22. Johan Rodenhuis, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy - Creating Award Winning Impact through Sustainable ICT Procurement!
In this interactive session the Ministry will  share its award winning strategy on corporate social responsibility within IT markets and show what implementation can look like in practice. It will further share insights on how to find the right balance between realism and ambition and to keep innovating every procurement cycle. There will be plenty of time for attendees to participate in discussions and share  challenges.

23. Wolter van der Vlist, Dutch Custodial Institution Agency (Dutch Prison) - Cell Cuisine: Changing the World of Prison Food
Humane corrections as the core element in a new contract for food for Dutch prisoners. Prison staff and the prisoners are key players for a successful (and waste free) contract. Instead of a centralized contract defined by our headquarters,  the decision making process was moved to  26 local institutions all over the country. The new contract aims to do justice to the importance of nutrition in detention.

24. Fabienne Pierre, One Planet Network, UNEP - Public Procurement for Circularity in Construction
With most countries spending +50% of their public procurement (PP) budget on construction, PP can advance circularity in the sector. Finance and planning stages of the construction value chain - linked to procurement - influence how we build plus what, why, and how much we build. Engaging governments and the private sector, the OPN Flagship Initiative on PP and construction aims to promote this. Attendees will gain insights into the initiative and opportunities for participation.

25. Bernard Cino, Rijkswaterstaat - Buy less! Refuse, Rethink and Reorganise
The consumption of products claims a huge share of our global environmental footprint. When we buy things, we put our circular economy under stress: high-quality recycling is a hell of a job. Buying less stuff is therefore always the best option. Our operational management has a linear tradition. Financial mechanisms, for example, support unnecessary consumption. Can you challenge your suppliers to keep your waste bins empty? Is your organization ready to make procurement of things the last resort?

26. Valentina Schippers-Opejko, City of Haarlem - Breaking barriers by using Innovation and Procurement as Strategic tools
How can Innovation and Procurement help to tackle challenges your organisation is dealing with? How does it work in practice? Would you like to learn more about how you could benefit from Innovation and Procurement? Join the interactive and practice focused session – ‘Breaking barriers by using Innovation and Procurement as Strategic tools’.

27. Abby Semple, Public Procurement Analysis Ltd & Carolien Brinks, Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management - Mandatory GPP: lowering ambitions or finally mainstreaming criteria
An increasing number of EU laws set sustainability requirements for public procurement. Examples include the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, Clean Vehicles Directive, Batteries Regulation and revised Energy Efficiency Directive. But what do these mean in practice for procuring organisations? How are they being applied in different countries/regions and do we have the tools we need to implement and enforce them? This session will consider both the practical aspects and the bigger question of whether mandatory criteria raise or lower ambitions.

28. Maria João Pinto & Paula Alves, City of Lisbon - Sustainable procurement: How to make everyone fall in love and walk together in the same direction?
In this roundtable we want to share with you the path of sustainable procurement that has been taken in the Municipality of Lisbon, the main challenges and the strategies implemented to unite, motivate, inspire and lead by example. We also want to hear from you about your experiences.

29. KS Venkatagiri, Global Ecolabelling Network (GEN) - Type 1 Ecolabels provide a credible and simple solution for Sustainable Public Procurement
Mr Venkatagiri will share insights from real world examples from his own experience and from other GEN members. Type 1 Labels from GEN members offer credible labels certified by an impartial third party for products or services that have been independently determined to meet transparent environmental leadership criteria based on life cycle considerations. A GEN member ecolabel on a product or service means it is certified against a science-based standard. Requirements and product categories can differ but all standards address multiple environmental and health issues which can include toxicity, air quality, energy and water use, recyclability, use of natural resources, and other areas of concern. A GEN member ecolabel on a product or service means it is certified against a science-based standard. GEN member programmes have attained the status of Type 1 according to ISO 14024:2018 Environmental Labels and Declarations—Type 1 Environmental Labelling.

30. Franziska Singer, Sustainability Training - Successfully building alliances and finding fellow SPP advocates in your administration
When implementing sustainable, circular or innovative procurement, there can be several challenges: funding, political support, market availability and time. However, another difficulty can be finding other people within the administration to carry the initiative forward. As successful alliances should include colleagues from various departments, this can be a blocker. Franziska interviewed representatives of front running local governments in Germany and analysed their main main points for finding fellow advocates internally. This includes some surprising insights and approaches that can easily be replicated elsewhere.

Market Lounge - 14 March

1. Helena O'Rourke-Potocki, ICLEI Europe - How to stimulate construction skills through procurement?
Achieving (nearly) Zero Energy Buildings at scale will not happen unless the workforce acquires the relevant skills and competencies to design, construct and maintain these buildings. Public authorities can leverage their purchasing power to stimulate demand for sustainable construction, nZEB and energy efficiency skills. This session will present the step-by-step guide that EU-funded nZEB ready project has developed on the procurement of nZEB skills.

2. Barton Finn, TCO Development - Putting carbon-conscious IT procurement into action
For most organizations, IT infrastructure is a source of significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions - both in the use phase, but especially in the supply chain. Procurement is well positioned to influence, but it can be complex to know where to start and what to target. Based on current carbon footprint research of IT products, participants will discuss how to strategically use IT purchasing to reduce GHG emissions associated with their organizations’ IT systems.

3. Jai Krishna, European Environmental Bureau & Tudor Cherhat, ECOS - Can GPP accelerate decarbonisation in steel and cement? 
Steel is not dependent on fossil fuels anymore; zero carbon cement is already in the market. Public procurement is a key driver, but the role of public buyers in accelerating the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate industrial sectors is yet to start. From buildings to automobiles, what are the delays in greening the pillars of our economy? This roundtable tackles this new challenge for procurers and aims to identify solutions.

4. Evelin Piirsalu, Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre - Integrating circularity, climate-neutrality and toxicity aspects into procurements
The lack of knowledge on environmental impacts at staff level in the purchasing decisions is a major challenge for the successful implementation of green public procurement. To overcome this challenge the so-called ChemClimCircle guide is being developed. It promotes interdisciplinary thinking and supports a step-by-step implementation of circular, tox-free and climate-neutral procurement. The purpose of the guide is to close the knowledge gaps and support decision making throughout the organization for a more sustainable procurement.

5. Hanna-Mari Juvonen, City of Helsinki (Canemure project) - Learn how to use carbon footprint data to support climate-smart procurement
How to mitigate climate change through procurement? Through this online training / e-learning material for low-carbon procurement, the participants can gain a basic understanding about the climate impacts of public procurement and learn how to implement climate-smart procurement. Case examples across different public procurement categories demonstrate for example how to apply carbon footprint data to develop low-carbon procurement criteria.

6. Georg Vogt, Empirica - CircularPSP: Specialised and scalable AI-solution for the circular economy transition 
Cities, staff and businesses struggle with the CE transition due to limited capacity, information overload, operational complexity and linear culture. CircularPSP’s suppliers compete to develop an AI solution to make circular case studies and procurement criteria accessible in your language. The AI helps executives develop actionable CE Missions and generates step-by-step workflows for employees’ daily tasks. All functions are hosted on an affordable platform. Followers gain insight into AI procurement clauses, and suppliers are invited to test solutions.

7. Grace Sly, ICLEI, Procuring Smart Solutions
In order to address the complex social, environmental and economic challenges facing local governments, cities have increasingly turned to digitally-driven solutions that improve the management and efficiency of their urban environments. This session will explore the benefits, challenges and opportunities for cities seeking to engage and procure smart technologies. It will feature lessons learned from the EU Smart Cities Marketplace's 'Solution Booklet for Public Procurement in Smart Cities'.

8. Delfina Curi, ICLEI, How to procure greener
How do cities across Europe have applied green criteria and social conditions in the tendering process? The EU GPP Helpdesk has produced a number of case studies illustrating best practices related to sustainable public procurement in different parts of Europe. The Helpdesk also contains GPP training toolkits, information on publications and LCC tools. Analyse how other cities have applied different criteria to drive the market towards more sustainable and innovative products and services.

9. Kristin Stechemesser, German Environment Agency - Climate-friendly procurement - what works well, what does not 
This roundtable deals with the question of how climate-friendly procurement can be implemented at different levels of the tendering process, e.g. in the form of economic feasibility studies, technical specifications or award criteria. The German Environment Agency  wants to collect, present and discuss different instruments and the associated challenges that are used during the tendering process to demand more climate friendliness. The roundtable will present LCC tools, which include monetized greenhouse gas emissions, and eco-labels, which include climate-related criteria.

10. Kate Sullivan and Marisol Bernal, Electronics Watch - Step by step – supplier dialogue. It's just a matter of time
Supplier dialogue is a central piece of sustainable public procurement. Integrating social sustainability into supplier dialogue starts relatively easy: ask a question and follow-up. Drawing on its work with public procurement of electronics and low-emission vehicles, Electronics Watch will discuss various aspects of supplier dialogue. The discussion will be guided by the questions: How to start? How to facilitate desired outcomes? What can be learned?

11. Marieke Weerdesteijn, Rijkswaterstaat/CFIT andJohan Rodenhuis, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy - New and effective approaches to ethical procurement of IT 
Effectively addressing supply chain risks in procurement is not always easy. In this interactive round table we invite participants to share experiences, good practices and challenges. The table hosts will share experiences from the Circular and Fair ICT Pact CoP on transparency and due diligence in ICT procurement and the way CFIT participant The Netherlands uses various tools and systems in procurement to achieve a positive impact.

12. Johannes Hiemstra, Central Government Procurement Service (NL) - Squaring the circle: how to leverage SPP below the procurement threshold?
The small scale of public contracts procured below the procurement threshold presents a conundrum: how to leverage SPP without disproportionately burdening the supplier? The roundtable will discuss the various options for squaring this circle. One, perhaps surprising, conclusion is that the most efficient way to leverage SPP is to use CSR certificates as supplier selection criterion. This ensures that only sustainable/social enterprises can submit tenders.

13. Andrea MacLean, Strategic Investment Board Ltd - From policy to practice; the challenges and opportunities for embedding social value within public procurement
This roundtable will explore the approach, tools and guidance developed to encourage collaboration and maximise social value outcomes in Northern Ireland. We will discuss: lessons learned from operationalising social value policy; co-designing a sector specific approach with the IT industry (points approach unique to NI); relevant case studies; and sharing online tools and resources (e.g. bespoke monitoring system, partnership directory).

14. Ingvild Skøien & Andrea Skjold Frøshaug, City of Oslo - Engaging small businesses to cultivate circular consumption 
The City of Oslo has developed contracts for repair and redesign of furniture with local repair and redesign businesses. Supporting such businesses’ professionalisation and growth was a conscious and important strategic decision when designing these contracts. Oslo combines this effort with investigating and intervening in user practices, for a deeper change in the organisations’ consumption patterns, towards circularity. This approach will be showcased and discussed at the roundtable.

15. Ingebjørg Harto & Ida Laustsen, LUP, Norway's Supplier Development Programme - "Find Solutions" - Portal for Sustainable Innovation Procurement
This engaging session will unveil the transformative power of LUP's "Find Solutions" portal in the context of sustainable innovation procurement. The session delves into real-world case studies, showcasing how LUP harnessed the portal to source sustainable solutions that not only drive innovation, but also align with environmental and social goals. Expect insights into streamlined procurement processes, cost savings, and the ability to meet sustainability targets.

16. John Watt,International Telecommunication Union & Shela Gobertina von Trapp, Global Electronics Council - From Policy to Practice: Unpacking ITU's Circular ICT Procurement Guide & Introducing the GEC Purchaser Guide to Circularity in Procurement
Discover the potential of circular and sustainable procurement for ICT. The International Telecommunication Union's guide to Circular and Sustainable Public Procurement for ICTs spans policy formulation, creating conducive conditions, and effective procurement processes. In parallel, we'll pre-launch the Global Electronics Council's Purchaser Guide to Circularity in Procurement, which details best practices in product attributes and vendor commitments alongside transformative strategies for procurers to adopt circular business models Learn how both guides align with Recommendation ITU-T L.1061 for circular public procurement of ICT, which sets global standards for ICT interoperability and sustainability. The ITU guide is developed with the GovStack initiative, which aims to accelerate the digital transformation of government services.

17. Sharmila Erizaputri, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Open Contracting Partnership (OCP) - Tracking progress: Trends and tools for GPP monitoring
As governments increasingly leverage their buying power to contribute to sustainability objectives, the importance of monitoring green public procurement (GPP) is gaining traction. The roundtable will delve into the latest trends and increasing demands surrounding GPP monitoring, highlighting the shift from tracking green processes to monitoring the tangible sustainability outcomes, such as reducing CO2 emissions. Worldwide, governments are grappling with the challenge of effectively monitoring GPP to measure their progress and build a compelling case for sustainable purchasing. This roundtable discussion, facilitated by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Open Contracting Partnership (OCP) provides an opportunity for experts, practitioners, and policymakers to come together and explore innovative solutions.

18. Elisabeth Muller, CO2 Performance Ladder - Certification as an award criteria to drive structural decarbonization
The CO2 Performance Ladder, proven effective over 14 years in the Netherlands, is an impactful GPP tool used as an award-criterion to stimulate structural decarbonisation in organisations, projects and supply chains. Meet the experts behind the CO2PL, hear users’ experiences, and gain inspiration from numerous practical examples!. The CO2PL is implemented in Belgium, Ireland, France and recognised as international best practice by the OECD, WEF, IPCC.

19. Martin Scherpenisse, Province of Zeeland - You can't improve what you don't measure: keep it simple
In 2021, the province of Zeeland drew up a plan for sustainable procurement based on the UN's sustainable development goals. This plan won the Procura+ Award. In the meantime, effect measurements on the base of the SDGs have started. Zeeland will show you how this can be done in a simple and transparent way. Also report in the annual accounts and make your contribution of purchasing visible! The importance for politicians to support sustainable procurement becomes visible.

20. Ekaterina Smid-Gankin, RWS & Els Verwimp, Government of Flanders, Rijkswaterstaat - The Dutch & Flemish SPP criteria tool - Joint criteria development for higher impact
The Dutch and Flemish Government jointly developed a user-friendly interface for sustainable, social and circular criteria for public procurers. Both governments want to use public procurement  to try to make their markets more sustainable. This session introduces the SPP criteria tool, its costs and revenues and tells the story of cooperation. But most important of all: Can you join us or join forces with other governments? We are eager to tell our story and answer all your questions.

21. Tim Rudin, Greater London Authority - Collaborating with suppliers to create social mobility and address skills shortages
Learn how the Greater London Authority Group partners with suppliers to bring disadvantaged and underrepresented people into employment. Hear how we have used the procurement process, as well as collaborative working with existing suppliers, to create thousands of apprenticeship and workless job starts in our supply chain. Discuss approaches and challenges to creating and monitoring green skills and jobs in the supply chain

22. Arthur Hinsch, ICLEI Europe - Acceptance of Renewables: can social procurement be the solution?
To have acceptance of renewables, citizens should be engaged in the local energy transition. This has become a cornerstone of Europe's energy transition narrative, but there is no "one-fits-all solution". Some are trying to generate acceptance through energy cost reduction, some want more direct financial and procedural participation for citizens in renewable infrastructure, while others see local value generation as key to acceptance. As local governments often have a significant role to play in the installation and renewables, they can steer and influence what kind of projects add the most community value. Join us to discuss how to integrate social criteria into tendering and procurement procedures for renewable energy. Can we "buy" acceptance via power purchase agreements? Or is it not that simple?
 

23. Francesca D’Addario & Jean-Marc Louvin, ICLEI Europe - Seven actionable criteria as minimum standards for public canteens across EU
Public canteens can be the driver toward a more sustainable, healthy, and just food system transformation by exercising pressure and influence on both the supply side (i.e. how the food is produced) and the demand side (i.e. what people consume). This roundtable aims to propose the seven actionable criteria gathered in the Sustainable Food Procurement Manifesto as minimum standards to apply in all public food procurement processes across Europe

24. Dominique Sandy, ICLEI Europe - Big Buyers Working Together - Collaborations opportunities for better outcomes in strategic public procurement
The Big Buyers Initiative is entering into its third and most ambitious phase, convening 10 communities of European public procurers to work together on challenges facing them in different products and categories. Building on previous work, combining joint purchasing power, and sharing best practices and pitfalls to avoid, these procurers will collaborate to buy better and to influence suppliers. Join this stall at the market lounge to see how you can participate and become a member of the Big Buyers Working Together project!

25. Paula Trinidade, LNEG & José Paulino, Portuguese Environment Agency -  From (almost) zero to hero in green public procurement: an integrated approach
This round table will discuss (1) how a GPP NAP can accommodate different dimensions: resource and energy efficiency, renewable energies and sustainable mobility, climate neutrality, bioeconomy, circular economy and eco-innovation in products and services; (2) how this process can be supported by a participatory process including the inputs of the main stakeholders in a collaborative approach.

26. Lucas Schmitz, BEF Germany, Reduce hazardous substances in construction projects via GPP tools
Addressing hazardous substances in construction material requires commitment and tools, because toxics are not visible during final inspection. This round table deals with practical approaches to improve GPP for construction projects, including data-base systems for construction in which Toxics are evaluated from full content declarations, Environmental Product Declarations, and Safety Data Sheets. All approaches are developed and tested in the Interreg BSR Project NonHazCity.

27. Cindy Berman, Electronics Watch & Pauline Göthberg, Swedish Regions - Are people subject to harm in public procurement supply chains getting remedy?
Millions of workers that produce goods and services for public bodies are exploited and abused. They are entitled to remedy for harm, yet in practice this is rare. Electronics Watch will present their new Worker-Centred Remedy Principles in a practical session designed to help public procurement organisations prevent harm to workers and drive improvements of working conditions in their supply chains. Panellists will include public procurement organisations that will share examples of how remedy can be included in public procurement processes.

28. Isabel Advirta & Ana Coelho, City of Lisbon - Lisbon’s Sustainable Business Platform
Lisboa Sustainable Business Platform is a decade-long commitment for companies and organizations to adopt ESG sustainability measures. By mobilizing businesses, the platform aims to contribute to Lisbon's sustainability goals and address pressing environmental challenges.

29. Valentina Shabaj, Policy Officer, DG GROW, European Commission – How can the EU better support the uptake of socially responsible public procurement across the Member States?
This roundtable will discuss the main challenges linked to the use of public procurement as a strategic tool, with an emphasis on the social dimension. Moreover, the discussion will touch upon the different approaches and measures that could be put in place to enhance the use of strategic procurement across the EU from the point of view of contracting authorities and economic operators..

Stay Connected

Choose your Update

By providing your details you agree to receive Procura+ Update e-newsletter and occasional other communications about ICLEI Europe events and activities, sent to you by ICLEI Europe. The subscription to the newsletters is free of charge and does not oblige you to anything. The legal basis for the processing is Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 letter a of the GDPR (consent). You can unsubscribe by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of our newsletter as well as unsubscribe, ask to update your details or stop using your information at any time by contacting data.protection.europe@iclei.org.

ICLEI Europe will process your data in accordance with its Data Protection Policy. ICLEI Europe will never sell your data, or pass it on to anyone else, but will share it with a company who provides its mailing software and will only use it for the purpose of sending you our newsletter(s). Learn more about their privacy practices here.

ICLEI Europe will keep your details only for the time necessary to fulfill the purpose of collection, namely until you unsubscribe from its newsletter(s). You won't be subscribed if you don't click the confirmation link in the confirmation e-mail that will be sent to you after submitting your details in the form above.