The Danish Ministry of Finance has come forward with a bold and ambitious proposal meant to turn public procurement green by 2030. According to officials, millions are spent each year on items and services that are not green or sustainable and are to the detriment to the country’s climate ambitions. That is about to change.
Embracing the approach in all facets of life
Each year the public sector spends an amount of around DKK 380 billion for different goods and services – food in kindergartens, medicine in hospitals, vehicles, construction, etc. The government’s new strategy will make it so that as many of these things as possible become sustainable and green by 2030.
According to officials, the only way for Denmark to achieve its target of cutting emissions by 70% by the end of the next decade is by fully embracing the green agenda – and public procurement is a vital part of that. While the government’s proposal is currently in its early planning and impact-assessment stages, which are meant to determine where it is most effective and efficient to act and where changes are most needed, some concrete ideas have already been put forward.
Among them are initiatives to make public vehicles emission-free, to reduce the environmental impact of public buildings and to introduce greener and more sustainable food alternatives in public canteens.
Laying out the government’s ambitions, Danish Finance Minister Nicolai Wammen explained that “For the first time in Danish history, the government is now launching an overall strategy for green public procurement. We do this because in the future we must be even better at keeping the climate, environment and sustainability in mind when we shop. It is a major financial muscle of a three-digit billion amount, which we are activating to accelerate further the green transition. And we are one of the first countries in the world to set figures on how much green procurement should contribute to reducing Denmark’s total emissions.”
Source: TheMayor.EU
