Details
Year: 2021
Published in: Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management
Cited as: n/a
Subject
Sustainable Public Procurement, Netherlands
Abstract
Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) is an effective instrument to help reduce CO2 emissions, the environmental impact and use of raw materials, to achieve an inclusive labour market and to tackle abuses involving people and the environment in international chains. As far as the central government is concerned, these social goals are no longer a minor point in the procurement process, but the main point instead. This was established by the Council of Ministers in the context of the government procurement strategy ‘Procuring with Impact’1.
The Dutch government wrote in its Governing Agreement2: “The Dutch government will make better use of its purchasing power to
accelerate sustainable transitions, to engage vulnerable groups and to purchase innovatively.” Municipalities, provinces, Water Authorities and central government together have an enormous purchasing power of more than € 73 billion per year3. They are also decisive players in various markets, such as construction, energy, transport, waste processing, health, safety and education. By managing their procurement according to social goals, they can help transform the Netherlands into the social, sustainable, inclusive and innovative market and society that we need. And at the same time, they can make a significant contribution to the intended sustainable economic recovery from the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
