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Buying into the Environment - Experiences, Opportunities and Potential for Eco-procurement (Hardcover)
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Buying into the Environment - Experiences, Opportunities and Potential for Eco-procurement (Hardcover)
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Green purchasing - or eco-procurement - by local and central
governments has long been recommended in documents such as Agenda
21 to be a key - although sometimes supplemental-ingredient in the
achievement of more environmentally responsible economies.
Certainly, sustainable consumption cannot be considered a realistic
goal without the full engagement of public authorities. Many
initiatives have been undertaken in OECD countries, most
successfully in Japan and Denmark where green public purchasing has
been proven to be workable and highly effective, while, in other
countries, city municipalities have successfully pioneered the
development of sophisticated public environmental purchasing
policies. However, for the vast majority of countries and their
major cities, the potential for green public purchasing remains
woefully untapped. A key question is what would be the
environmental impact if the majority of cities in Europe replicated
the success stories of those leading the way? Public procurement
has, after all, been an important tool in achieving other public
policy goals such as defence. Why should it not be used as a tool
to defend the environment? The RELIEF project, funded by the EU's
"City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage" programme was established
to answer exactly this question: to define the true potential of
eco-procurement and to develop a strategy for change in Europe.
Buying into the Environment is the result of the research segment
of the project which has now been completed. A further stage-to
design a Europe-wide action plan will follow in 2004. The book,
organised under the auspices of the International Council on Local
Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) analyses national approaches
already tested, and provides in-depth surveys on the pioneer cities
such as Hamburg, Malmo and Zurich. Serious attention is given to
city-specific hurdles which have been faced and overcome. The most
relevant product groups for eco-procurement such as construction,
transport, energy, information technology, furniture and food. are
also analysed. Uniquely, the book also provides calculations on the
environmental benefits potentially achievable through greener
purchasing. Tools were developed and tested by the RELIEF
researchers on the environmental assessment of products, public
buying power and on evaluations of market conditions in order to
provide scenarios for the application of green purchasing at a
European level. The conclusions are that there is huge potential
for both local and central governments to adapt their behaviour
patterns and purchase in a more environmentally responsible way.
For example, 18% of the EU's Kyoto Protocol commitment could be
achieved if major cities in the European Union purchased green
electricity. The results are complemented by new ideas on how best
to foster innovation in public contractual arrangements-to
encourage the development of products such as
super-energy-efficient computers and fuel cells-and how the legal
system may require adaptation and reform. The results presented in
this book will provide an indispensable resource for
municipalities, governments, researchers and business practitioners
looking for answers on how public procurement can have a
fundamental and manifestly positive effect on the environment.
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