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Legislation on public procurement that promotes sustainable procurements

  • Published on December 19, 2019
Please tell us the main goals in maximum 500 words.* Increased share of environment and climate friendly-public procurements and green innovation in public procurement practices
• The Norwegian legislation on public procurement promotes sustainable procurements. According to article 5 in the Norwegian public procurement law, procuring entities shall align their procurement practice to help reduce harmful environmental impacts and promote climate friendly solutions where relevant. Procuring entities may set appropriate requirements and criteria related to various steps in the procurement process, so that public contracts are executed in a way that promotes consideration for the environment, innovation, working conditions and social conditions, provided that the requirements and criteria are related to the subject matter of the contract. • In support of the objectives in the new procurement law, the Government will develop an Action Plan aimed at increasing the share of environment and climate friendly-public procurements and green innovation in public procurement practices. • The Agency of Public Management and eGoverment (Difi) offers comprehensive guidance to public procurers, including on green procurement, innovation and human rights. The Agency has created guidance and requirements- and criteria sets for sustainable procurement in areas of waste collection, construction and real estate, food- and meal services, transportation, ICT, ecolabelling and environmental documentation, plastic reduction and purchase of biofuel with low risk of deforestation. • In April 2019, the Government published a White paper on Public Procurement: "Smarter procurement – efficient and professional public procurement". The White paper is about how to achieve better public procurement. Better procurement in practice means to make the procuring entities buy right quality for the best price, to promote innovation, business development and social responsibility. The key factor is professionalization of the procuring entities.

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