Update on Green Public Procurement Strategy and Action Plan
On 4 April 2024, the Government approved the Green Public Procurement Strategy and Action Plan. The Plan ‘Buying Greener: Green Public Procurement Strategy and Action Plan 2024-2027’ (GPP Plan 2024-2027) was finalised after the draft Plan was subject to a public consultation last October (on which ALG’s procurement team produced a detailed note on: see here)
Replacing the previous national policy 'Green Tenders- An Action Plan on Green Public Procurement', the GPP Plan 2024-2027 modernises Ireland’s public sector purchasing strategy to support its environmental and wider sustainability goals. With public bodies in Ireland (excluding utilities) recording an estimated spend of €18.5 bn on goods, services and works annually, the GPP Plan 2024-2027 focuses the public purse on green and circular procurement practices. In turn, these procurement practices will drive “the provision of more resource-efficient, low carbon, less polluting goods, services and works”.
The GPP Plan 2024-2027 has five key objectives:
- Use Green Public Procurement (GPP) as a tool to drive Ireland’s transition to a sustainable and low carbon economy;
- Ensure GPP is an essential part of Ireland’s procurement process and in associated governance structures;
- Adopt measures to include green criteria in all public procurement, where possible;
- Support further development of GPP knowledge and expertise, and participate in international efforts to promote GPP as a mechanism for sustainable production and consumption; and
- Support market conditions to cultivate sustainable and innovative solutions for GPP.
Actions on GPP
These five objectives will be achieved through 54 actions set out in the GPP Plan 2024-2027. Relevant action points for public bodies and the corresponding timelines include:
| No | Action | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| A5 | All public bodies in updating their corporate policies and strategies, and Corporate Procurement Plans are to set out how they will adhere to GPP Strategy and Action Plan obligations related to their organisation. | From 2024 |
| A17 | All public bodies to actively promote the use of GPP Criteria Search within their organisations and include this commitment in their Corporate Procurement Plans. | 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027 |
| A29 | All public bodies to set out (e.g. within public sector Climate Action roadmap) and fulfil annual staff training commitments in relation to GPP with a priority focus on key goods/services/works applicable to those organisations. | From 2024 |
| A37 | From 2025, all public bodies to report explanation for not including GPP criteria in published tender documentation for contracts valued over the applicable national/EU procurement thresholds where National GPP criteria are available. | From 2025 (for above applicable national/ EU procurement thresholds) |
Sectors/ products with GPP related targets
Under the GPP Plan 2024-2027, key public procurement sectors and products now have GPP targets. Examples of these targets include:
| No | Sector/Product | Target |
|---|---|---|
| T1 | The Built Environment | From 2025, a minimum proportion of construction materials procured by public bodies under new contract arrangements comprise recycled materials. |
| T3 | Food Procurement and Food Waste | From 2025, 100% of new contract arrangements related to canteen or food services to include measures that are targeted at addressing food waste, with a specific focus on food waste prevention, taking into account Ireland’s commitment to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030, and food waste segregation. |
| T8 | Energy related products, Heating Equipment, Indoor and Outdoor Lighting | From January 2025, 100% of all tenders for the public procurement of energy related products, heating equipment, or indoor and outdoor lighting to include a requirement for tenderers to specify recommendations and options for the product, when the product or components of the product comes to the end of life, that consider environmental sustainability, including options for reuse, repair, and recycling. |
| T11 | Road Transport Vehicles | 100% of all tenders for the public procurement of vehicles to procure zero emissions vehicles only, subject to exceptions as specified in the Public Sector Climate Action Plan Mandate 2023. |
Monitoring the GPP Plan 2024-2027
Overall responsibility for the GPP Plan 2024-2027 rests with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The GPP Plan 2024-2027 will be monitored and reviewed annually, with a GPP Action Plan Task Force to be established to monitor the implementation and progress of the Plan.
Next steps
The GPP Plan 2024-2027 is the roadmap for public bodies to achieve key environmental commitments in line with the broader climate action plan adopted by the Government. Public bodies should be aware of their action points on GPP and any sectoral or product specific targets that might affect them. All public bodies must now implement measures to ensure adherence to the GPP Plan 2024-2027.
For further information please contact Anna-Marie Curran, Partner or your usual team EU, Competition & Procurement contact.
Date published: 1 May 2024