Book Release- Understanding Sustainable Public Procurement: Reflections from India and the World

Published on December 13, 2022

This Book authored by Sanjay Kumar examines sustainable public procurement (SPP) as a policy tool on a global level and offers an in-depth case study on India’s SPP implementation trajectory. It also further explores how to integrate sustainability criteria into purchasing decisions.

This book explores the development of sustainable public procurement (SPP) as a strategic policy instrument to support decoupling of economic growth from environmental degradation and enhancing social well-being. Offering an in-depth case study of India’s SPP implementation trajectory, it discusses the challenges of integrating sustainability criteria into purchasing decisions, and examines policy choices and best practices to address them. It investigates the legislative, institutional, and governance framework for SPP in India, and identifies priority actions to accelerate wider uptake of SPP policy and practices. Furthermore, the book highlights the evolving role of SPP policies in response to emerging global mega trends, such as international trade, low carbon economy, circular economy, and Industry 4.0. Given its scope, this book appeals to scholars of economics, public administration, and environmental and social sciences, as well as to policymakers, practitioners, and advocates interested in steering transformational changes towards mainstreaming sustainable procurement practices in developing economies at the desired scale.

Praise for Understanding Sustainable Public Procurement

“This manuscript covers three very important principles of SPP; namely: the life- cycle thinking (core engine of the Marrakech Process), the SPP’s economy of scale to bring down cost of production (enabling factor for business), and a set of working models (i.e. top-down, bottom-up, and sideway-in).”

—Anthony Chiu, Member, United Nations Environment International Resource, Manilla, Philippines

“Mr. Kumar has written a must-read book that is valid for procurement as well as sustainable procurement practitioners. It successfully attempts to highlight the chal- lenges when it comes to adoption of sustainable procurement both by an organization or by a country.”

—Atul Bagai, Head of India Office, United Nations Environment Programme, New Delhi, India

“Sanjay Kumar’s book is an important contribution to the literature on sustainable procurement, providing unique insights into the challenges and opportunities facing India and many other countries today.

It highlights the widely underestimated potential of public procurement to deliver significant environmental and socio-economic outcomes.

In charting India’s progress to date, this book throws light on the pressing need for both rapid action and further research in sustainable procurement to meet the challenges of people and planet in the 21st century.”

—Barbara Morton, Director, Sustainable Procurement Ltd, The United Kingdom