Global Framework for Action: Harnessing Sustainable and Circular Public Procurement to Drive Demand for Near-Zero Emissions and Resilient Bu...

Sustainable public procurement is increasingly recognized as a transformative tool for advancing sustainable consumption and production in high-impact sectors such as the construction sector.  Accounting for up to 30% of GDP[1] in many countries and 50% of public expenditure, Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) can play a key role and act as the main mechanism to drive demand creation for a system-wide transformation. International frameworks such as the Chaillot Declaration and the Buildings Breakthrough recognize the same. The Chaillot Declaration, for example, calls on governments to “lead by example through ambitious procurement policies with particular attention to public building procurements.” Governments are encouraged to create procurement and policy commitments for Near-Zero Emission and Resilient Buildings (NZERBs), for new and existing buildings alike and join relevant initiatives to aggregate these commitments, as per the Buildings Breakthrough Priority International Action 2 on Demand Creation 2024-2025.

UNEP, which acts as Secretariat to the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production and its One Planet Network, commissioned a baseline study and mapping to draw prioritized recommendations under the One Planet Network Flagship Initiative on Mainstreaming Circularity in the Construction Sector Leveraging the Power of Public Procurement. This stocktaking exercise was enriched and validated through a broad consultative process involving over 200 global experts ensuring perspectives and insights from a wide range of key stakeholder groups across the construction value chain with varying levels of influence on both the construction sector and public procurement cycle. This inclusive and consultative approach is the core of defining an actionable Global Framework for Action that reflects real-world challenges, opportunities, and context-specific conditions to help guide countries lead by example and implement circularity in their public procurement processes. The Framework for Action provides a set of high-level clear principles that are common to all stakeholders, and a number of actionable strategies and tools that can be adopted and utilized for the implementation of the common principles according to different contexts.

The virtual COP29 launch of the ‘Global Framework for Action: Harnessing sustainable and circular public procurement to drive demand for near-zero emissions and resilient buildings’ is a milestone event in the year-long development process of the Framework positioning SPP as a catalyst for transforming the construction sector, reducing emissions, and helping governments meet their climate commitments.