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February 26, 2025
Procura+ Awards rewards successful, already running, sustainable, circular and innovation public procurements. The Procura+ Awards is an ICLEI Europe initiative giving visibility to the most dynamic, forward-looking and innovative public authorities.
This year public authorities can apply in three categories, including the Global Initiative of the Year: welcoming submissions, for the first time, from all over the world.
Find more information and read about the three award categories – Sustainable Procurement of the Year, Innovation Procurement of the Year and Global Initiative of the Year – here.
Access the 2025 Procura+ Award application form here.
Application deadline: 31 March 2025 (23:59 CET)
More details at ICLEI Procura+ Award website.
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February 26, 2025
This specific good practice "Ecolabels criteria for entire building, operation and facilities services, and refurbishments" highlights the potential of evaluating all stages of a building’s life—from construction to operation and end-of-life—, and services related to buildings to contribute to a more sustainable construction sector. Nordic Swan, ABNT, and GreenPro are some of the ecolabels examples that provide clear criteria, foster innovation, and serve as a tool for sustainable public procurement.
Available in English and in Spanish.
This series of 20 good practices reflects experiences on ecolabelling, sustainable public procurement, or the joint use of ecolabelling and sustainable public procurement that have demonstrated positive impacts on fostering sustainable consumption and production — for this reason, they are called "good practices.” These good practices aim to promote global exchange by providing information and examples of various approaches that entities from different countries and contexts can apply to strengthen the use of ecolabels and sustainable public procurement. They were developed as an outcome of the Working Group on Ecolabelling from the Consumer Information Programme, under the One Planet network, and the EcoAdvance project, jointly implemented by the German Cooperation for Development (GIZ), the United Nations for Environmental Protection (UNEP), and the Oeko Institute, funded by the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, nuclear safety and consumer protection (BMUV), and the International Climate Initiative (IKI).
More details at One Planet Network knowledge center.
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February 17, 2025
The Big Buyers Working Together (BBWT) Community of Practice (CoP) working on sustainable solar panels, coordinated by ICLEI Europe, has made the guide ‘How to Prepare and Start a PV Project’ available in 24 EU languages. In addition it has created a concept template of the Procurement Requirements and Award Criteria for PV projects.
The guide provides public authorities with an overview of all the steps they need to take to realise a PV project. From defining the project size, arranging financing and subsidies, obtaining permissions and insurances, and many more key steps.
The procurement template includes requirements related to quality, safety and sustainability aspects. It covers PV modules, inverters, cabling, mounting constructions and more.
Both the guide and template have been applied in practice in the Netherlands to create PV projects with better financial conditions, a longer working life and better sustainability. Public organisations from all EU countries are invited to download these documents and to propose amendments, reflecting their national context. Although many technical requirements and process steps will be similar, there will also be regulatory and other differences between your country and the Netherlands. Nonetheless, the documents and criteria can already be used for procurement processes, however please be aware that some edits are required for those working in other countries.
Public buyers working on solar PV projects, and other national experts who have experience with these projects, are strongly invited to contribute and join us. Please send any queries to bigbuyers@eurocities.eu.
More details at ICLEI website.
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category : Topics
February 9, 2025
The recently unveiled Roadmap for Sustainable IT includes clear steps to drive sustainability in four key areas: climate, substances, circularity and supply chain.
IT products are often produced linearly, harming fragile ecosystems and depleting natural resources. Each year, over 60 million tonnes of e-waste are generated globally, a figure that continues to grow.
To reduce the environmental impact and secure the supply of essential materials, we must work together, extend the lifespan of products, and build truly circular flows of recovered and reused products and materials.
The organization behind the sustainability certification, TCO Certified, recently unveiled Roadmap for Sustainable IT, which outlines detailed plans for the years ahead toward more sustainable and circular IT solutions. The roadmap includes clear steps to drive sustainability in four key areas: climate, substances, circularity and supply chain. It provides structure and transparency, allowing IT brands, purchaser organizations and other stakeholders to align with ambitious goals and collaborate to achieve them.
Learn more at One Planet Network.
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