QUESTION
What are you proud of in terms of sustainable public procurement in the Netherlands?
RL
Samenwerking - The way the national government and local authorities work closely together, share knowledge and support each other. In our country we have an SPP manifesto signed by more than 150 parties. They are developing action plans that will go further than just complying with the minimum criteria. With this manifesto, we’re showing the rest of the Netherlands and Europe that we’re serious about what we, as a government, stand for. And that, through our procurement policy and our role as a contractor, we bolster sustainable innovation by market parties!
QUESTION
What are your ambitions?
RL
Let me be clear. Sustainable public procurement plays a vital role in preventing wastage of raw materials and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Through public procurement we can open up markets for innovative SMEs and scale up important technologies. SSP is a real winner!
If you pay, you have a say. Sustainable procurement is a powerful instrument for achieving our climate ambitions. With all these activities, we want to create a safe and healthy future for the generations that follow us.
Sustainable production and consumption are key. And they’re key to meeting our climate targets. A circular economy could reduce global carbon emissions by as much as 60 per cent!
I want to use this enormous purchasing power to influence the market to achieve climate goals. My national objective is to reduce carbon emissions by one megatonne a year by 2021. That’s more than three times the energy used by all the households in the city of Nijmegen.
QUESTION
What do you want to achieve internationally?
RL
We’re keen to work with international partners on circular procurement. In the EU and the UN, the Dutch government works to promote circular procurement in other countries by, for example, exchanging best practices and helping develop tools and purchasing criteria. We’re especially active in sectors where leading Dutch companies can offer relevant knowledge and expertise, like the construction sector.
The 10-year framework programmes for sustainable development are a good example. Within them, I want to work with government and business partners on developing roadmaps for SSP and circular procurement for international industries like construction and IT.
In the Netherlands we’ve started to assess the actual impact of SPP in areas like reducing emissions and resource use. It would be excellent to collaborate internationally, further develop and harmonise methodologies, and exchange data in this regard. Both at EU level and internationally.
QUESTION
What would you like to see at the conference in the days ahead?
RL
Today’s theme is ‘dare to ask, dare to do’. That goes right to the heart of the matter. We want to make SSP a success. I want to see people address important issues, break behaviour patterns, share experiences, learn from others. That applies to you, but to me, too, of course. And let’s work together. I call on everyone here to work together at international level and step up circular procurement, so that we can help the market innovate and make a difference together. But organisations can’t simply task their purchaser with SSP. SSP has to be embedded in your whole organisation. Because if we, as managers, support it, we can move mountains. Sustainable public procurement must become the norm within a few years. The new normal. When you say Barcelona, you immediately think of the La Rambla, the Sagrada Familia or Messi. When you say procurement, you should immediately think of SSP.