International Symposium on Green Public Procurement under the Vision of Carbon Neutrality & 15th Anniversary of Government Procurement of Environmental Labelling Products

Recap successful experience and achievements of China Green Public Procurement (GPP) of environmental labeling products over the past 15 years;

Exchanging GPP progress and practice nationally and internationally;

Recommendations for GPP approach toward carbon peak and carbon neutrality targets during the national “14th Five-Year Plan”;

Discussion on the measures for national GPP development.

Since 2006, Chinese government issued the policy of Government Procurement on Environmental Labelling Products. To summarize experience and explore GPP contribution for climate change, “The International Symposium on Green Public Procurement under Carbon Neutrality Vision & 15th Anniversary of Government Procurement of Environmental Labelling Products” was held in Beijing on November 30, 2021. This meeting was hosted by the Environmental Development Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (EDC) and organized by China Environmental United Certification Center (CEC). Government officials from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), as well as representatives from international organizations such as UNEP, a delegation of the European Union to China, ICLEI, GEN and IGPN were invited to attend the meeting.

The China government procurement practice on environmental labeling products, which now was expanded in scale, greatly supported the development of GPP in China and facilitated local innovative practice on GPP. At the same time, GPP has promoted green innovation and a transition of enterprises at the demand side. For example, government procurement spend on environmental labeling products has reached 1.3 trillion Yuan RMB over the past decade. In 2020, the total sum of government procurement of environmental labeling products was 81.35 billion Yuan RMB, taking up 85.5% of the same type of products. And the amount of product models has increased from 856 in 2006 to 1 million now, covering over 90 categories of products compared with 14 categories in the beginning.

During the event, the positive role of China government green procurement was deeply analyzed in helping to achieve carbon peak and carbon neutrality. In addition, experts from universities and research institutes had heated discussions and gave presentations on GPP and low carbon development from different perspectives. The experts had reached consensus that, as an important approach to regulate the micro economy and protect the environment and climate, GPP, with strong evidence, is conducive to guide and mobilize more policy and financial support to green and low carbon development in China.

Published on January 12, 2022