Only 2 percent of government contracts take sustainability into account, according to the available information. That is what the Minister of the Civil Service Petra De Sutter (Green) is putting forward a plan to make the federal purchasing strategy more sustainable.
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The federal public services spend more than 150 million euros each year on goods and services with taxpayers’ money. Much has already been done in recent years to make these purchases more efficient. For example, there are 38 joint contracts under which various government departments jointly purchase items such as office equipment or work clothes, and 50 other joint contracts are in the pipeline.
But in the field of sustainability there is still a lot of work to be done, says Minister of the Civil Service Petra De Sutter (Green). According to her information, only 2 percent of public procurement now takes sustainability into account, which refers to the environment, social and ethical aspects and innovation. That figure should be taken with a grain of salt, as the services are not obliged to pass on information about the sustainability of their purchases.
“Still, I am sure that we have a world to win here,” says De Sutter. ‘As far as I’m concerned, in public tenders not only the price is important, but there will also have to be sufficient consideration for how long a product can last, the packaging or the impact on the climate.’
List
In concrete terms, De Sutter proposes that a list be drawn up with categories of products that aim for 100 percent sustainability. This concerns, for example, vehicles, textiles, ICT equipment or hand tools. In addition, the Green Deputy Prime Minister wants to see with the services whether and where they can collaborate with, for example, tailor-made companies or smaller SMEs.
Moreover, this list is not without obligation, says De Sutter. Government services must opt for sustainable products, and if they do not do so, give good reasons why. ‘Tax money must also be spent in a sustainable way. When you make purchases with tax money, it comes with responsibility and an exemplary role. For me that’s logic itself.’
De Sutter’s plan will be submitted to the Council of Ministers on Friday.
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