Standardizing sustainability requirements according to market capability in the Basque Country
Standardizing sustainability requirements according to market capability in the Basque Country

Standardizing sustainability requirements according to market capability in the Basque Country

Geographical Area
Basque CountryEurope
Scope
Regional
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IntroductionIntroductionHow to use this toolkitHow to use this toolkitWhat is Open SPP?What is Open SPP?What our users told usWhat our users told us
PlanPlanEstablish an enabling environment Establish an enabling environment PrioritizePrioritizeMonitoring & evaluationMonitoring & evaluationBuild support and capabilitiesBuild support and capabilitiesCreate an Action Plan Create an Action Plan
ImplementImplementAssess needsAssess needsChoose a procurement methodChoose a procurement methodEngage with the marketEngage with the marketSet sustainability criteriaSet sustainability criteriaPrepare contract obligationsPrepare contract obligationsMonitor implementationMonitor implementation
Open data & measuring progressOpen data & measuring progressOptions for data use Options for data use SPP uptakeSPP uptakeCarbon reductionCarbon reductionGender inclusionGender inclusionLife cycle costingLife cycle costingEconomic DevelopmentEconomic Development
Sector guidanceSector guidanceConstruction sectorConstruction sectorICT sectorICT sector

Resources

Downloadable toolsDownloadable toolsResource directoryResource directoryCase study databaseCase study databaseGuide to ecolabels Guide to ecolabels Open SPP FAQsOpen SPP FAQs

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In the Spanish Region of the Basque Country, publicly-owned company Ihobe has been in charge of the region’s Green Public Procurement Strategy since 2009. As part of their strategy, they prioritized procurement categories, and developed standardized green criteria for 30 product categories. To decide what criteria to include, they organized thematic discussion forums with industry organizations, and potential regional suppliers, and assessed the current level of compliance with the proposed criteria (the European Union’s GPP criteria). As a result, they created three levels of criteria for each product category: basic, advanced and excellence. The aim of these levels was to use Green Public Procurement (GPP) as an instrument to promote the sustainability work already being done by regional suppliers, while encouraging them to comply with higher levels of green criteria. As over 90% of regional companies are SMEs, this strategy also helped to ensure that these companies were not left out of GPP procurement opportunities. The Basque Country’s Green Procurement and Contracting Programme 2030 shows that in 2020 62% of all public contracts containing environmental criteria were awarded to Basque companies.