Tampere is the third largest city in Finland and the largest inland centre in the Nordic countries. There are about 225,100 inhabitants in Tampere, and close to half a million inhabitants in Tampere Region, which comprises Tampere and its neighbouring municipalities. For a number of years, the City of Tampere has participated in national and international networks concerning resource efficiency, environmental indicators and sustainable public procurement. Both City Strategy and Environmental Policy emphasize eco-efficiency and sustainable purchasing.
 | 225k Population |
 | 15k Employees |
 | 2016 Date joined |
The City of Tampere Environmental Policy, which was approved by the Tampere City Council in 2012, covers objectives for SPP.
Vision 2050: Material and eco-efficiency is a key criterion in all city investments, projects and purchases. The material and eco-efficiency of the city’s operations improves significantly.
SPP TARGETS
Environmental Policy 2020:
PROCUREMENT STRATEGYThe City of Tampere’s management model of procurement was reformed recently. A new strategic procurement manager was employed, and two projects on SPP and PPI were started.
A one-year project to promote sustainable public procurement started in 2016. The aim is to raise awareness of SPP, develop monitoring of public procurement from the sustainability point of view and study impacts of SPP. Within the project, training will take place on the use of environmental and social criteria in public procurement, and increased cooperation between city’s departments and neighbouring municipalities will be developed.
In 2015, a sustainable procurement of medical gloves successfully promoted global responsibility, human rights, wellbeing of employees and nature. A life cycle costing model was applied in the procurement, demonstrating a €100,000 saving.
KEEPING TRACK OF SPPIn centralised purchasing, the use of environmental criteria is monitored on a yearly basis. The numbers are reported as part of annual environmental review. In 2015, 41 percent of the centralised purchases included environmental criteria.
The City of Tampere will electrify one of its bus lines at the end of year 2016. Tampere city transport office has acquired four electric buses, one quick and four slow charging stations. Tampere is the first city in Finland to procure electric busses through a public competitive tendering process. The transition to electric busses reduces CO2 emissions by about 290 tons per year.
The City of Tampere is committed to promote bio-based economy and wood-based construction. Timber is used especially for construction of parks, infrastructure and public buildings, such as kindergartens and schools. PuuVuores project is a development project for an eco-efficient wooden city, where the public-private partnership model is applied. Energy efficiency, life cycle thinking, and ecological lifestyle are considered in all planning.
Vuores school centre in Tampere produces currently 5 % of its electricity with solar panels. The procurement was successful, and the obtained experience will be utilized in the future. Solar energy production is metered, and the system is utilized in teaching. The system is currently the largest publicly owned solar plant in Tampere with its 45 kilowatt-peak.
The Tampere Hall Congress and Concert Centre, which is owned by the City of Tampere, is the first in the Nordic countries to be awarded with the Nordic Ecolabel. In 2015, Tampere Hall also won the Sustainable Public Purchaser contest. Efforts are made to constantly improve energy efficiency and waste management. Menus are planned according to the carbon footprint of food. Tampere Hall prefers fair trade and organic products, as well as locally sourced food. Environmental ozone water is used in the cleaning. Noxite air-purifying roof membranes are used in the roof coverings. Tampere Hall's premises are cooled with district cooling which uses water from nearby Lake Näsijärvi.
For further information on the activities of Tampere visit their website:
or email procurement@iclei.org
