1. Sustainable Development Goals and Public Procurement
Mark Hidson
Director ICLEI’s Global Sustainable Procurement Centre
Deputy Regional Director, ICLEI
Image: ©

2. 17 sustainable development goals with 169 targets

3. Why does procurement feature in the SDGs?

4. Public organisations can meet their needs for goods, services, works and utilities in a way that achieves value for money on a whole life-cycle basis in terms of generating benefits not only to the organisation, but also to society and the economy, whilst significantly reducing negative impacts on the environment
Image: LOSINPUN, Flickr.com (NC-SA-2.0)

5. 3 Examples
Benefits: Administrative, financial, comptencies and for procurement
Legal issues: the question of applicable law, question of jurisdiction, civil law or administrative law, relation between national law and EU law
Other issues: language
According to the UN, public procurement systems represent an annual expenditure of over $10 trillion USD, an equivalent of 15% of global GDP.

6. “Governments and traditional development aid agencies simply do not have enough funds to meet the goals - a multitrillion dollar yearly funding gap exists”
UN Intergovernmental Committee on SD
Image: Pavel Eltsov, Dreamstime

7. Society: sense of concern over use of natural resources, the impact on the environment and society
Business: resource security, cost of raw materials, image, new business models and market opportunities
Public sector: meet policy and environmental goals, find innovative solutions to meet challenges, cost efficiency agenda...

8. Sends a signal
Helps governments and cities tackle key challenges
Cost efficient
Improve efficiency and effectiveness of services
Stimulates growth and provides jobs
Support small business and local suppliers
Drive the market for innovation
Address social inequality
Empower specific groups in society

9. Where does procurement feature?

10. Legal guidance
Target 12.7: promote Public Procurement Practices that are sustainable in accordance with national policies and priorities
Indicator : Number of countries implementing SPP policies and actions

11. 12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
12.3 By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses
12.4 By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle... and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment
12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse

12. Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages
Target 3.9: Reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.

13. Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix

14. Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value
Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms
Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment

15. How can procurement impact in practice?

16. Use Buy Linear approach Dispose Purchase price Usage cost
Meeting regulations
Disposal costs
Meeting regulations

17. Energy recovery
Landfill
Collection
Separation
Raw materials
Materials processing
Material recovery
Design & Manufacture
Recycle
Repair, reuse
Supplier
Delivery
Public Authority
Use
Maintenance

18. What are the barriers to using procurement to achieve the SDGs?
Legal and policy framework
Market barriers
Budgetary constraints / costing issues
Capacity issues – lack of training, research, tools, methodologies
Communication and information

19. Key Questions
How can we overcome barriers to SPP in developing countries?
How can we increase the commitment of governments towards the value of procurement?
Image: © iStock photo

20. Pros and Cons Some regions already have frameworks
Reaching the local level is difficult
Perceived as being too abstract
Raise awareness & reference worldwide
Recognises procurement as a mechanism
Image: © iStock photo

21. Thank you mark.hidson@iclei.org www.sustainable-procurement.org