Breakout Session 5

In this session we will discuss Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) with representatives from different cities and initiatives from different world regions and learn about the potential for mutual learning on a global scale and how to encourage exchange.

SPP represents a central policy tool to implement Sustainable Development Goal 12 on “Responsible Production and Consumption” of the Agenda 2030 – however its implementation by public bodies globally is mostly low or even non-existent.

At the same time, frontrunners are to be found all over the globe, particularly on the municipal level, and a number of global and regional initiatives have been established to support implementation. The potential of SPP is increasingly being recognised in all world regions and public bodies have developed different approaches and definitions of SPP. As a flexible tool for addressing multiple policy objectives, local implementation will naturally reflect what those local priorities are – whether climate change, or air quality, whether fair trade or job creation. This new dynamic and diversity benefits from international exchange. Despite some structural differences, such as legal frameworks, municipalities from across the world face similar challenges when it comes to introducing and implementing SPP, and therefore have much to gain from exchange.