Biophilia Educational Project

The Biophilia Educational Project is a program developed in Iceland, which uses music and creativity to spark children's interest in sciences and nature. The program includes teaching apps, games, animations, music and academic essays on science and nature. Creativity is used as a teaching and research tool, where music, technology and natural sciences are linked together cross-sectorally in a new, innovative way.

The concept builds on dynamic collaboration of academics, scientists, artists, teachers and students at all academic levels. It creates a platform for dialogue and debate, which encourages both personal and social development, thereby contributing to a sustainable society where new approaches are actively explored.

The project was developed by Björk Guðmundsdóttir, the City of Reykjavík and the University of Iceland. It was launched as part of Iceland´s 2014 presidency in the Nordic Council of Ministers and is piloted in selected schools in the Nordic countries.

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Implemented in: Europe and Central Asia, Aland Islands, Denmark, Faeroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden

Free public transportation in Tórshavn Municipality in the Faroe Islands

The city of Tórshavn, the capital of The Faroe Islands, is promoting a shift from private car use to public transport through economic incentives, i.e. by making public bus transport free for everyone.
Traditionally the only means of public transport on the Faroe Islands has been buses or ferries. The bus service in Torshavn was rarely used due to an infrequent service – a service that people were unwilling to pay for. People preferred to use their cars, which made for a heavily congested town center and a premium on parking spaces. The free public transportation has led to more people using buses instead of private cars and has led to the development of more frequent and better planned bus services. The free public transportation was piloted in 2009 and has continued and been further developed since then.

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Implemented in: Europe and Central Asia, Faeroe Islands

The Sustainable Backpack

The Sustainable Backpack is a national initiative for Norwegian primary and secondary education, aimed at integrating education for sustainable development (ESD) into mainstream education. The goals of the Sustainable Backpack are to influence attitudes toward and improve proficiency in issues related to sustainable development among teachers and students. Education for sustainable development is supported by enabling networking between teachers, schools and teacher education experts, organizing teacher professional development (TPD) courses and by providing economic support to school projects. About 600 primary and secondary schools in Norway have participated in the program since the start in 2009. Annually some 150 schools participate.

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Implemented in: Europe and Central Asia, Norway

Healthy and eco-smart dietary recommendations by the Swedish National Food Agency

The kind of food we eat is important for our health and well-being and also for the environment. One fourth of the climate impact of households comes from the food we eat or throw away. These are the reasons why the Swedish National Food Agency has produced new dietary guidelines and related promotional materials, which highlight how consumers can make healthy and eco-smart food choices in their daily lives. The aim is to encourage people to learn more about healthy and eco-smart food choices and how to minimize food waste.

The agency launched new dietary guidelines in 2015. The eco-smart dietary guidelines are based on extensive research and the dietary guidelines published by the Nordic Council of Ministers (Norden) in 2013. The agency works towards promoting healthy dietary habits, safe foods and fair practices in the food trade as well as promoting eco-smart food choices.

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Implemented in: Europe and Central Asia, Sweden

Enova’s Energy Challenge – a digital energy education concept for primary schools

Enova has launched a digital educational concept for teaching primary school students about energy. The focus in on learning about energy: What is energy; What can energy be used for; What are the different energy sources; What is the link between energy use and climate change and what are the consequences of climate change? The target group is teachers, who get a digital “toolbox” for implementing four (4) two-hour school lessons. The “toolbox” includes presentations, a film for each theme and different types of tasks for the students to do in class and at home. Time for these types of lessons has been allocated in the official curriculum in Norwegian schools. The primary focus of the concept is on schoolchildren aged from 9 to 12. The concept was launched in 2014 and the target is that all 3000 primary schools in Norway start using the toolbox.

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Implemented in: Europe and Central Asia, Norway

Climate Embassy by Concito

The Climate Embassy is a Danish interdisciplinary network of about 100 active young (aged 19-28) climate-interested volunteers, the climate ambassadors, who teach students and other stakeholders about climate issues and sustainability. The Climate Embassy concept is based on network communication and devoted, knowledgeable, young students acting as role models and dynamic communicators for children and young people. The Climate Embassy concept was launched in 2009.

After taking part in a free education workshop focusing on climate, communication and networking, the climate ambassadors can participate as communicators, youth mentors and facilitators in different teaching related projects of the Climate Embassy. The focus is on climate and sustainability. The method is solution oriented and based on activating young to young communication using relevant and new scientific knowledge, concrete examples, films and student interaction. The lessons and services are free for the schools.

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Implemented in: Europe and Central Asia, Denmark

Bike to School campaign - National biking promotion campaign in Denmark

Denmark has been a forerunner in promoting biking as a form of everyday transport by providing good cycling infrastructure. Biking promotion campaigns by the Danish Cycling Federation have successfully promoted everyday biking to school and to work.

The Bike to School campaign is an annual campaign, which promotes cycling to school. The goal is to get more children to bike to school routinely and to learn good and secure way of biking and especially using a helmet. The campaign started in 2002 and it has so far been very successful and has produced good socio-economic benefits. Annually about 120 000 to 150 000 children participate in the campaign. The campaign is managed by the Danish Cycling Federation.

The Danish Cycling Federation also runs the Bike to Work campaign, which is very similar to the Bike to School campaign. It targets adults and work teams and has also been very successful. The Bike to Work campaign started in 1998.

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Implemented in: Europe and Central Asia, Denmark

Joint National Procurement of Electrical Vehicles

In October 2010 the City of Stockholm and Vattenfall joined forces to conduct a national procurement of Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs). A public procurement process of EVs and PHEVs, passenger cars and light trucks, was carried out in 2010–2011. An invitation was issued in 2010 and the interested parties worked together to define parameters for bidder qualification and the tender process. Renewed competition tendering is a new method not previously used in procurement agreements for vehicles. Minimum targets included the participation of 150 buying organisations, a total demand for 5000 vehicles and offers from 8 manufacturers. A two-year framework agreement was signed with six vehicle suppliers starting on 1 October 2011. Beside procurement the project had also other objectives: to increase the interest in EVs and introduce them to the Swedish market, collect data of their operation in different Swedish organisations and spread information.

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Implemented in: Europe and Central Asia, Sweden

Renewable Heating Systems for Schools

The City of Oslo, Norway, sought to equip all schools in the area with renewable energy based heating systems by the end of 2011. An improvement in existing technical and operational performance was also a major requirement of the procurement, along with improved environmental performance and value for money. To find a more innovative and effective approach, the City of Oslo decided to establish a partnership with three development actors and use a multistage procurement procedure starting with market dialogue and a pre-commercial contest followed by a development phase. These phases produced innovative solutions, which were brought to final tenders and then purchased.

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Implemented in: Europe and Central Asia, Norway

Technology-Neutral Procurement of a Full-Electric Ferry

A full-electric ferry was procured by the Norwegian Directorate of Public Roads to operate between Lavik and Oppedal. The technology-neutral procurement process was carried out in two phases, i.e. pre-qualifying bidders before entering into the competitive dialogue phase. The Directorate established an advisory group while developing the tender documentation and the evaluation criteria, in order to both involve the end-users and assess the technological need.

The winning shipping company worked with a Norwegian shipyard and a large engineering and electronics company, who co-developed this new ship as the world's first electrically-powered car ferry. The first phase of the procurement process was launched in 2010 and the ferry started operating in 2015.

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Implemented in: Europe and Central Asia, Norway

Eco-labelled cleaning services in Reykjavík

In 2009 the City of Reykjavík, Iceland, decided to start using eco-labelled cleaning services. This means that all cleaning service providers either have a certified ISO 14001 environmental management system, are certified as providers of Nordic Swan eco-label cleaning services, or meet comparable criteria. Reykjavík's Green Cleaning Program aims to ensure that public cleaning contracts are fulfilled in a way which minimises adverse environmental and human health impacts. This involves a reduction in the overall quantity of cleaning chemicals used per m² cleaned, and ensuring that those chemicals used are less harmful to the environment and human health. In two pilot projects, the city included environmental criteria in two tenders for cleaning services. The cleaning costs were cut in half while the market share for eco-labelled cleaning services in Iceland increased substantially.

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Implemented in: Europe and Central Asia, Iceland

Reduction of energy use in municipal buildings by an Energy Service Company (ESCO)

In 2011 the City of Vantaa started a procurement process with an ESCO to improve energy efficiency of 14 municipal buildings. The idea was that the energy saving measures and associated cost savings would be realised more rapidly than if only making “traditional” investments from the City's budget. The City decided to pilot ESCO services for 14 buildings for eight years. These are representative for the City's buildings in terms of their age, size, design etc. The plan is to roll out engineering, procurement and construction services (EPCs) for further municipal buildings, if energy saving measures prove successful. Before this, Vantaa carried out a stakeholder engagement exercise on the use of ESCOs. Procurement objectives were defined and the City's climate targets were taken into account. The City aimed to make energy-saving targets both clear and realistic. Vantaa chose to use a negotiated procedure as the best option to utilise market potential and explore available options.

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Implemented in: Europe and Central Asia, Finland

Environmental strategy of Tampere Hall provides systematic procurement guidance

A strategic and systematic approach to procurement and continuous work with subcontractors has led to improved sustainability in Tampere Hall, a congress center owned by the City of Tampere, Finland. The environmental targets of Tampere Hall include minimising the carbon footprint and continuous improvement of environmental performance. The Nordic Swan label was awarded for the congress and meeting services of Tampere Hall in 2014. This made Tampere Hall the first Nordic congress center to receive the Nordic Swan label. Motiva Oy, a state-owned technology company that encourages efficient and sustainable use of energy and materials, awarded Tampere Hall with the Finnish Sustainable Public Procurer 2015 Award.

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Implemented in: Europe and Central Asia, Finland

New circular business models: focus on purchases, work clothing and the textile service industries

In order to use public demand as a lever for green development, the City of Herning in Denmark started to prepare a model for a circular economy in 2013. The project's starting point was the purchase agreement between De Forenede Dampvaskerier and the City of Herning on renting, washing and repairing of work clothes for the city's technical operations department. The City of Herning decided to find out how to include reuse and recycling of work clothes into daily operations in the purchase and supplier chains, both practically and legally. Results include a general guide into circular economy, which can be used in other purchasing areas and by other municipalities.

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Implemented in: Europe and Central Asia, Denmark

Partnership for Green Public Procurement in Denmark

In 2006 the Ministry of the Environment and the three largest municipalities of Denmark (Copenhagen, Aarhus and Odense) started the Partnership for Green Public Procurement (GPP). Since then nine municipalities, two regions and a water company have joined. GPP is an effort seeking to protect the environment and drive the market in greener direction by joint procurement measures. The municipalities are responsible for the majority of public procurement and constitute a considerable volume. Today GPP represents ~5,5 billion Euros/year – about 13 % of the annual public procurement in Denmark.

GPP is a shortcut to strengthen the specific work with green procurement and strong signal to suppliers on the market that they must have the best and most environmentally sound products. By setting and using uniform criteria it becomes easier for the suppliers to comply with the criteria. The idea is: the more authorities using GPP's criteria the more effect it will have on the market.

Led by: Denmark - Danish Environmental Protection Agency

Implemented in: Europe and Central Asia, Denmark

Sustainable Public Procurement