Sustainable procurement in municipalities and companies

For many years, eco-social procurement has been seen as a promising instrument for implementing sustainable development. Public authorities, above all local authorities, but also companies are increasingly using the concept of sustainable procurement to fulfill their global responsibility and support sustainable economic structures.

The targeted demand for energy-efficient and ecological products and services reduces the burden on the environment, improves the supply of environmentally friendly goods and services and reduces the company's own CO2 footprint. In addition, many of the products procured in this country come from countries in the global South. Toys from China, coffee from Latin America and Africa, natural stone from India and textiles from South East Asia are just a few examples. This raises the question of local production conditions: Forced labor, exploitative child labor, extremely low wages, long working hours and inadequate health protection often go hand in hand with low-priced offers from overseas.

We provide training and advice to support public and private institutions in making their procurement more sustainable and embedding this in their organization. Specifically, we offer:

• Training on the introduction and implementation of sustainable procurement
• Training on the legal aspects of sustainable procurement
• Support with the strategic introduction and implementation of sustainable procurement
• Development of text modules for tenders
• Supplier evaluations

We are currently working on the following projects

• Training offensive for sustainable procurement in Baden-Württemberg
• Implementation support for the implementation of a regional and sustainable procurement platform for the ILE Zukunftsregion Rupertiwinkel
• Training courses and seminars for authorities and companies

Completed projects

• Environmental and climate protection guidelines for public authorities (Leitfaden Umwelt und Klimaschutz in Behörden)
• Study "Eco-social procurement at German universities" on behalf of Fairtrade Germany („Öko-soziale Beschaffung an deutschen Hochschulen")
  
• Rhineland-Palatinate buys sustainably! (Rheinland-Pfalz kauft nachhaltig ein!)
  

Publications

• Environmental and climate protection in public authorities - a guide (2020) (Umwelt- und Klimaschutz in Behörden – ein Leitfaden)
  
• Study "Eco-social procurement at German universities" on behalf of Fairtrade Germany (2022) ("Öko-soziale Beschaffung an deutschen Universitäten")
  
• Practical guide to public sustainable procurement - green business in the Alpine region (2022) (Praxisanleitung öffentliche nachhaltige Beschaffung – Grünes Wirtschaften im Alpenraum)
  
• Acting sustainably: Sports balls - Kicking with fair balls. Guide to the sustainable procurement of sports balls (2022) (Nachhaltig handeln: Sportbälle - Kicken mit fairen Bällen. Wegweiser für eine nachhaltige Beschaffung von Sportbällen)
  
• Acting sustainably: Workwear - Picking up the fair thread. Guide to the sustainable procurement of workwear (2022) (Nachhaltig handeln: Arbeitskleidung - Den fairen Faden aufnehmen. Wegweiser für eine nachhaltige Beschaffung von Arbeitskleidung)
  
• Acting sustainably: Stones - Being on the right track. Product guide for the sustainable procurement of stones (2022) (Nachhaltig handeln: Steine - Auf dem richtigen Weg sein. Produktwegweiser für eine nachhaltige Beschaffung von Steinen)
  
• Acting sustainably: Clean things. Guide to sustainable cleaning services (2022) (Nachhaltig handeln: Saubere Sachen. Wegweiser für nachhaltige Reinigungsdienstleistungen)
  
• Handbook on eco-social procurement - project "Rhineland-Palatinate buys sustainably!" (2019) (Handbuch öko-soziale Beschaffung – Projekt „Rheinland-Pfalz kauft nachhaltig ein!")
  

 

 

 

 

  We give advice, but we cannot give the wisdom to profit by it.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld