Using environmental product declarations for green public procurement and life cycle assessment of concrete pavements

Environmental impacts of concrete production have been evaluated for more than a decade. As a result, a national program for environmental product declarations (EPDs) of concrete has been initiated. The main objective of this paper is to analyze concrete EPDs produced to date and evaluate their applicability for green public procurement (GPP) and life-cycle assessment (LCA) of concrete pavements. EPDs provide transparent and verified quantification of environmental impacts, calculated per predetermined guidelines, known as Product Category Rules (PCRs). PCRs for concrete were developed through involvement of stakeholders from the building industry; therefore, these PCRs may not be fully applicable to paving concrete. The analysis included over 70 published EPDs and revealed that there are marked variations in underlying data sources and data quality, which hinders comparability of EPDs and use of EPDs for benchmarking. Concrete EPDs were created primarily using proprietary data sources suitable for the private sector. However, in the public sector, the use of proprietary data may be cost-prohibitive for agencies, disable transparency, and present the impediment to wider GPP and LCA adoption. To that end, reliable public datasets offer more promise for the development of paving concrete EPD. This study also compares concrete PCR to that of other paving materials (cement, aggregate, asphalt), all of which were created with no overarching entity. Accordingly, the potential options for harmonization and synergetic use of these EPDs in GPP and pavement LCA are also investigated.

The Concept of Introducing Eco-Friendly Criteria into The Contract Procurement System

The article analyses the current level of development of the topic of "green" public procurement both in Russian legal acts and in domestic scientific literature. The authors conducted a categorical analysis of the term "green" public procurement, based on which the definition recommended for use in the Russian system was derived. The analysis of international experience in the implementation and development of green procurement was followed by a description of the specifics of legal regulation in several countries. By means of an electronic questionnaire survey of contracting system entities, the current level of application of environmental criteria in procurement was empirically assessed and the attitudes of Russian customers and suppliers towards the introduction of new environmental requirements in procurement legislation were identified. Thus, customers are not motivated to use "green" criteria, as they are not aware of them and their application may be regarded by regulatory authorities as a restriction of competition, and suppliers are not interested in producing such products, since they will not be competitive due to the high price. Based on the results obtained, recommendations were developed for the gradual, step-by-step incorporation of norms and practices related to the greening of the procurement process into the contract system.

Local barriers in the efficient use of Green Public Procurement - case of Slovaki

Green public procurement is a voluntary tool through which public procurers can contribute to the objectives of environmental policy. The legal framework and public policy of green procurement is covered by the European Union. The main goal is to contribute to the consideration of environmental characteristics in public purchases as well as environmental management and the life-cycle costs of the goods, services and work. However, the objectives of the legal framework and the policy to promote green public procurement are often not achieved due to the barriers posed by economic practice. The aim of the article is to analyze the local barriers in the effective use of green public procurement in Slovakia. The processing of results is based on the annual evaluation reports to the National Action Plan for Green Public Procurement in Slovakia for 2016-2020. Identified local barriers include financial constraints on contracting authorities and a preference for evaluating contracts based on the lowest price criterion, insufficiently built administrative (personal) capacity to implement green public procurement, fear of discrimination in incorporating environmental criteria into tender documents and subsequent sanctions from control bodies. Last but not least, the voluntary application of green public procurement at regional and local level is also included among the barriers in the efficient use of this tool in practice.

Green recovery packages: a boost for environmental and climate work in the Swedish construction and building industry?

The objective of this study is to explore whether the green recovery packages issued by the Swedish government are aligned with the work of the construction and building industry to become climate-neutral by 2045. We have interviewed heads of sustainability of some of the largest companies in the industry and surveyed companies that have signed the Roadmap for a fossil-free construction and building industry1. Our results show that market-related challenges constitute the most important challenges to the environmental and climate work of the companies in our study. To better respond to these challenges, they require policies that reward frontrunners, primarily green public procurement, and tougher standards and norms. They also requested investments and policies that support the transition to a circular economy. We conclude that while green public procurement is not among the policies and investments included in the recovery packages, other parts are well aligned with the challenges encountered, requested investments and policies, and on-going work. This is particularly true for the above-mentioned investments related to the transition to a circular economy. Further, the study enables us to conclude that it is important to consider the long-term effects of green recovery packages and their potential for return-on-investment in terms of reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per SEK. Such packages will also have a better effect if they support on-going environmental and climate work, initiate new actions, and are designed with a systems perspective that facilitates joint action between different companies along the entire supply chain.

Green public procurement: learnings from Pesaro city, Italy

The development of mandatory green public procurement requirements is a significant and tangible contribution to undertaking planned, sustainable deconstruction (rather than demolition) approach to increase recycling materials, creating new businesses and new green jobs. Research undertaken of a procurement process for Pesaro, Italy demonstrates the application of an assessment approach and method based on holistic evaluation and interpretation of multiple sustainability aspects of buildings and their parts. Taking a holistic life cycle approach, this case study provides a clear evidence of how to foster ‘circular’ alternatives compared to linear, business as usual options in the management of public procurement. A competitive procedure in the procurement process was undertaken resulting in materials either being reused or taken to a recycling centre. The reuse of the materials during the new construction phase also included monitoring the quantity of all materials, preventing any waste and encouraging optimised reuse. This study shows that it is possible to drive the market towards a circular thinking and a circular construction site management is a critical requirement for transitioning towards a circular built environment. By ensuring that tendering processes support and develop sustainable recovery of waste materials, this study shows that it is possible to provide materials second and third life.