Understanding green and pro-social procurements and their potential for the promotion of sustainable development in Africa Farid YAKER, UNEP AfDB, Tunis, Tunisia, November 2009 T HE H IGH L EVEL F ORUM ON P UBLIC P ROCUREMENT R EFORMS IN A FRICA

What is Sustainable Public Procurement? “Sustainable Procurement is a process whereby organizations meet their needs for goods, services, works and utilities in a way that achieves value for money on a whole life basis in terms of generating benefits not only to the organization, but also to society and the economy, whilst minimizing damage to the environment.” Procuring the Future – the report of the UK Sustainable Procurement Task Force, June This definition has been adopted by the Swiss-led Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Public Procurement. For more information visit

What is Sustainable Public Procurement? Environment EconomicSocial

4 P OTENTIAL BENEFITS OF SPP

Why implement Sustainable Public Procurement?  Governments are major consumers of goods and services, with their purchasing power representing 15 to 25 % of GDP in most nations;  SPP is a tool like social or environmental legislation and regulation or fiscal policy (i.e. fines/penalties/ecotaxes);

Benefits of Sustainable Public Procurement  Contributes to social justice/inclusion and environmental sustainability:  Promotes compliance with social and environmental law, enforcement of international/national legal commitments.  Demonstrates socially/environmentally responsive and responsible governance – leading by example:  conformity with community norms and values;  compliance with international donors expectations.

Benefits of Sustainable Public Procurement  Stimulates (socially/environmentally conscious) markets:  increased demand/supply of products that contribute to achieve social and environmental objectives;  development of standards and information for use by other consumers (role model);  increased strategic co-operation and dialogue with the supplier base.

Outcomes delivered through Sustainable Public Procurement  Cost savings including recognition of non-tangible benefits (on health, water quality, positive impact on global warming);  Job creation (including SMEs, environmental goods and services);  Improved environmental performance, including reduced CO 2 emissions;  Minority empowerment;  Poverty reduction;  Transfer of skills/technology.

Sustainability impacts & challenges Sources of pollution of air, land and water. Health and safety.

Biodiversity loss. Oil palm (monoculture) plantation. Sustainability impacts & challenges

Child labour Sustainability impacts & challenges

Job creation. Health & Safety Sustainability impacts & challenges

Link with Sustainable Consumption and Production  Under JPOI (2002) governments agreed to: “Encourage and promote the development of a 10- year framework of programmes in support of regional and national initiatives to accelerate the shift towards sustainable consumption and production to promote social and economic development within the carrying capacity of ecosystems.”

Sustainable Consumption & Production and Sustainable Public Procurement  2003 – launch of Marrakech Process  Global, multi-stakeholder process aimed at supporting the development of a 10YFP  Marrakech Task Forces  Swiss-led Task Force on Sustainable Public Procurement

Priorities identified at regional / local SCP meetings

Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Public Procurement (MTF on SPP) Task Force led by Switzerland Chaired by: Eveline Venanzoni Swiss Federal Office for the Environment Co-Chaired by: Sheila Encabo, Philippines Members: China, Argentina, Mexico, Ghana, Philippines, UK, Norway, Czech Republic, USA, State of São Paolo, Switzerland, UNEP, UNDESA, ILO, European Commission Services, ICLEI, IISD The objective of the MTF on SPP is that 14 countries distributed in all regions will have tested the SPP approach by 2010/11

17 MTF Approach on SPP Country Implementation

18  MTF on SPP target is to roll out the Approach to up to14 countries by 2011  The Swiss government and UNEP have established a partnership to apply - in up to 14 countries worldwide - the MTF on SPP Approach  Funding:  EU funding for Costa Rica, Mexico, Mauritius, Tunisia  Switzerland for Uruguay, Chile, Argentina and Ghana  Francophonie for Lebanon  Funding from other sources Roll out and implementation

Capacity building for Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) in developing countries Capacity building for Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) in developing countries Implementing the Sustainable public procurement approach developed by the Marrakech Task Force on Sustainable Public Procurement

Specific constraints linked to SPP implementation in Africa  tight procurement budgets, availability of trained procurers  limited use of life cycle costing assessments  manufactured products generally imported, even more so when it comes to green products  recycling and green products industry not profitable in small developing countries. For these countries, solutions can only be found at the regional level.  Concens about exclusion of SMEs, cost of certifications, etc. 20

21 Good procurement is sustainable procurement! Merci! Thank you! Gracias !