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January 14, 2025
In October the Spanish Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO), in collaboration with ICLEI Europe, organised a workshop on green public procurement in the context of DG GROW's Procurement Dialogue Initiative project, which aims to carry out dialogues in all 27 Member States. The workshop, taking place in Madrid, was attended by a large number of stakeholders from other ministries, as well as from the Autonomous Communities, and representatives of the European Commission.
The workshop began with an optimistic perspective from the Undersecretary for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Miguel González Suela, highlighting the interest in the theme and format of the workshop. He stressed the need to change the way we relate to nature, proposing a structural change and a change in the productive (and cultural) model; a change that necessarily involves the way in which public administrations acquire their goods and services.
Vanesa Aventin Fontana, Deputy Director General of Governance and Coordination of Public Procurement of the Ministry of Finance and erónica Gonzalo Gómez, Head of the PRTR Division of MITECO also gave presentations, highlighting respectively the Triennial Report (2021-2023) on Public Procurement in Spain and the the catalogue of green technical specifications developed by MITECO. The catalogue is expected to be approved in the framework of the Interministerial Commission on Green Public Procurement.
More information about the workshop can be found here.
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January 9, 2025
EPA is implementing a multi-pronged program to support construction product manufacturers in lowering operating costs, achieving efficiencies and accessing new markets while helping federal purchasers and other buyers find cleaner, more climate-friendly construction materials. The production of these materials accounts for 15% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions.
Embodied carbon refers to the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production (the extraction, transport, and manufacturing) stages of a product’s life. (Many initiatives to track, disclose, and reduce embodied carbon emissions also consider emissions associated with the use of a product and its disposal.)
Embodied Carbon of Construction Materials
In addition to the environmental benefits, U.S. manufacturers who address embodied carbon can lower operating costs, achieve efficiencies and access new markets.
Municipalities, states and the federal government have implemented “buy clean” policies to encourage the purchase of lower-carbon versions of these products.
In the United States, billions of tons of concrete, asphalt, steel, glass and other construction materials and products are used annually to construct, maintain, and operate roads, highways, bridges, offices, and houses, schools, and parks, among other infrastructure. While construction materials and products have numerous social and economic benefits, they currently have significant environmental costs:
• The U.S. industrial sector, which includes manufacturing, is linked to more than 30% of annual U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
• Worldwide, the manufacture of construction materials and products accounts for 15% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions.
Manufacturer Benefits of Lowering Embodied Carbon
• Respond to customer demand and meet public and private sector requirements for EPDs.
• Gain market advantage by differentiating your product.
• Understand the environmental impacts of your products and identify opportunities to reduce those impacts to improve sustainability and competitiveness – often while saving money.
Four Key Materials
Under this program, EPA is focusing on a subset of construction materials because of the high greenhouse gas emissions associated with their production and the large quantities purchased by the federal government:
• Concrete
• Glass
• Asphalt
• Steel
Additionally, EPA is examining strategies to further reduce embodied greenhouse gas emissions through the use of other materials, including salvaged and reused materials, aluminum and wood.
How Can Public Procurement Incentivize Purchases of Lower Carbon Construction Materials?
The U.S. federal government is the world’s largest purchaser, spending approximately $730 billion every year on goods and services. In fact, approximately half of the concrete produced in the United States is used for publicly funded projects. The power of federal purchasing can be used to move markets towards more environmentally preferable options.
Collaborative Buy Clean efforts leverage their procurement power to support manufacturers while making historic investments to upgrade U.S. transportation, buildings and energy infrastructure. Generally, participation in these programs requires manufacturers to disclose the environmental - and especially the embodied carbon - impacts of their products. These impacts are typically disclosed via environmental product declarations (EPDs).
EPA and partner agencies are developing strategies to support enhanced standardization, measurement, reporting and verification of EPDs to drive the market for lower embodied carbon construction materials.
Learn about the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which addresses embodied carbon in construction materials.
Learn more at EPA website.
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January 6, 2025
The booklet provides a snapshot of the regional assessment for the Asian region using SCP_HAT toolbox. The analysis was conducted to highlight the unsustainable consumption and production patterns and to identify the high impact sectors in Asia; while focusing on the triple planetary crisis and resource use. The triple planetary crisis refers to the interlinked challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, all of which stem from unsustainable production and consumption behaviour. The inefficiencies in resource extraction, production, and consumption are at the heart of these crises. Addressing them requires improving resource efficiency—using materials, water, and energy more effectively—while transitioning towards a more sustainable future. The analysis spans three decades, therefore, the insights derived from it remain highly relevant for understanding the ongoing crisis in the region.
Download at the One Planet Network Knowledge Centre.
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January 2, 2025
The global ‘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. Such a framework would enable governments to make strong commitments to lead by example, positioning sustainable public procurement as a catalyst, considering the whole life cycle of buildings, including embodied and operational carbon, while shifting away from a linear to a circular economy to achieve substantial emission reductions and establish near-zero emission and resilience by 2030. The Framework for Action will be launched at COP29.
Details on the 5 Common Principles of the Framework for Action and Menu of Actions can be accessed by clicking <<here>> at One Planet Network website.
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December 25, 2024
December 18, 2024, the International Green Purchasing Network(IGPN) officially released the (hereafter Methodology) and (hereafter Pilot Testing Report), aimed to formulate a measurable, reportable, and replicated IGPN-Green Purchasing Network measurement methodology, through which scientifically monitors and evaluates the impact and potential for each Green Purchasing Network toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal, therefore accelerate the sustainable consumption and production transition by leveraging its characteristic GPN model.
The Methodology provides terms and definition, basic principle, monitoring methodology and technical content of performance evaluation for Green Purchasing Network, of which intend to measure the implement performance level and monitor its sustainable performance in various scale and types. The Pilot Testing Report collects facts of the Methodology applied in Green Purchasing Network Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, China and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, verifies the applicability and feasibility of the Methodology, summarizes steps for scale up the Green Purchasing Network model, lays an importance reference for environmentally friendly products and green purchasing to advocate sustainable and consumption transition. Findings of the Pilot Report showed the Green Purchasing Network model can be effectively extended or replicated to new region or area or location to expand its influence, serving to maintain the sustainability, relevance and value of the IGPN with its members and stakeholders, result in positive economic, environmental and social benefits accordingly.
and was drafted and developed by China Environmental United Certification Center (CEC), which hosted International Green Purchasing Network (IGPN) Secretariat since 2018. The International Green Purchasing Network (IGPN) is a global multi-stakeholder partnership, launched by Japan Green Purchasing Network in 2005 with the mission: 1) promote globally the development of environmentally friendly products and services and green purchasing activities; 2) share information and know-how on green purchasing and environmentally friendly products and services internationally; and 3) harmonize the efforts of green purchasing and the development of environmentally friendly products and services from a global viewpoint.
The Methodology and Pilot Testing Report are available now, any further enquiry on this report, please contact with igpn.secretariat@igpn.org.
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December 25, 2024
2024 annual meeting of the International Green Purchasing Network-IGPN was held visually on December 18th. Participants from national Green Purchasing Networks (GPN), IGPN Council and IGPN Advisory Board, invited guests from UNEP, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, EU SWITCH-Asia SCP Facility office attended this meeting. The meeting was hosted by the IGPN Secretariat, China Environmental United Certification Center–CEC.
Mr. Chen Yanping, Chair of IGPN, presented his speech in the opening remarks, “Strengthening public demand for sustainable consumption and production, including circular economy approaches, is crucial, and this can be integrated with national and local procurement networks to increase the scale of green procurement practices. In 2024, the IGPN focused on the pilot testing and finalizing the GPN measurement methodology, activated the cooperation among members，hope that members actively support the methodology application, integrate the IGPN featured green purchasing network model into global sustainable public procurement projects and activities”,Mr. ZHU Shu, regional director of ICLEI East Asia, vice chair of IGPN, pointed out，ICLEL will work closely with IGPN to promote green development and transformation of countries and cities along the Belt and Road through collaborative research and selection of best practice cases。
During the meeting, Measurement methodology for Green Purchasing Networks and Pilot Testing Report was formally released to scale up IGPN featured Green Purchasing Network model by adopting this measurable, reportable and replicated comprehensive monitoring framework.
In the meantime, Ms. Gina Torregroza, Project Coordinator, UNEP One Planet Network Secretariat, presented the Driving SCP through Sustainable Public Procurement; Ms. Laetitia Montero, Programme Management Officer, Consumption and Production Unit Industry and Economy Division from UNEP shared Good Practices in the use of Ecolabelling and Sustainable Public Procurement. Additionally, IGPN secretariat, together with representatives from GPN Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, India, China and China Hong Kong recapped the progress and experiences in 2024 with thinking about the 2025 priorities as well.
Since CEC holds the IGPN Secretariat in 2018, it consistently works on the IGPN operational and members’ collaboration activities. Stated by Mr. LIU Zunwen, CEC general manager, in the summary speech, “Next, IGPN Secretariat will highlight the current theme on "low carbon, waste free and recycling", focus on the “Methodology" implementation through joint projects, expand the application scale of environmentally friendly products/services. On this basis, form into a fixed mechanism of “Green Purchasing Network Monitoring report, to achieve the mission of IGPN which is promoting green purchasing and environmentally friendly products and services".
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December 10, 2024
The One Planet Network Forum has been highlighted as a key activity of the G20 Initiative on Bioeconomy (GIB), a set of agreed High-Level Principles on Bioeconomy, an integral part of the Rio Declaration adopted by G20 leaders at the end of the Brazilian Presidency.
G20 Initiative on Bioeconomy (GIB) The Brazilian presidency of the G20 launched the G20 Initiative on Bioeconomy (GIB). This Initiative is the first international diplomatic forum dedicated exclusively to the subject. The GIB was structured around three thematic axes, each of which was the main focus of one of the three in-person expert meetings: “Research, development and innovation and traditional knowledge for the bioeconomy” (Brasilia, May 7-9); “Sustainable use of biodiversity for the bioeconomy” (Manaus, June 17-19); and “Bioeconomy as an enabler for Sustainable Development” (Rio de Janeiro, September 9-11). The main outcome of the GIB is a set of agreed High-Level Principles on Bioeconomy, which is an integral part of the Rio Declaration adopted by G20 leaders at the end of the Brazilian Presidency. In addition, the Brazilian G20 Presidency has commissioned a study to examine how G20 countries are advancing on bioeconomy, which was showcased in the side event “A Contribution to the G20 Initiative on Bioeconomy (GIB)” on May 6th in Brasília. Another study, which focused on financing bioeconomy, was discussed by the G20 in September. The GIB also held the following side events at the Rio de Janeiro meeting: “Fifth Global Climate and SDG Synergy Conference: Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet” (September 5-6th), “Special Session of the Forum of Ministers of Environment Latin America and the Caribbean” (September 11-12th), “Biofuels in the context of the bioeconomy” (September 12th), “Financing a Positive Bioeconomy for Climate, Nature and People” (September 12th) and “One Planet Network Forum 2024 – Sustainable Consumption and Production (SDG 12)” (September 12-13th). As a result of the discussions during the One Planet Network Forum 2024, the Intergovernmental Board of the 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns adopted the Outcome Document “Reducing Inequalities and Achieving Just Transitions for All Through Sustainable Consumption and Production, Including Circular Economy”. The document features key messages emerging from the Forum, including the call to use the G20 High-Level Principles on Bioeconomy as a way to advance sustainable consumption and production pattern.
Learn more at One planet network knowledge center.
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December 5, 2024
Global leaders and ministers convened at the 2024 One Planet Network Forum in Rio de Janeiro, achieving major breakthroughs in sustainable development. With a focus on inequalities, just transitions, and circular economy approaches, the event saw key commitments endorsed by over 500 delegates. Highlights included new milestones in sustainable tourism, advancements in public procurement, and funding for youth-led climate action projects. Dive into the key outcomes and learn more about the future of global sustainability efforts.
Ministers, high-level representatives of Member States and leaders from organizations convened to advance critical action areas to promote global progress on sustainability
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (09/15/2024) - The 2024 One Planet Network Forum, hosted in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has concluded with a series of significant announcements, commitments and an agreed document of ‘Key Action Areas’ outlining action areas for addressing inequalities and achieving just transitions through sustainable consumption and production and circular economy approaches.
After two days of plenary discussions, thematic sessions and a dedicated Ministerial Dialogue, which brought together over 500 in-person delegates from over 40 Member States, UN agencies, as well as leaders from private sector and stakeholder organizations, the 10YFP Board endorsed an outcome document of ‘Key Action Areas’ that will be presented to the G-20 process, the Summit of the Future and the 7th Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly.
In another significant announcement, the Forum celebrated important milestones in the field of sustainable tourism, as four new signatories—Ecoe, Katalisar, Ocean Eyes Production, and Turismo360—joined the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme's Global Tourism Plastics Initiative (GTPI), bringing the total to 236 organizations. The Programme’s Glasgow Declaration for Climate Action in Tourism also welcomed 7 new signatories, bringing its total to 841, namely Visit Rio Convention Bureau, Instituto de Desenvolvimento e Gestão, Roteiros de Charme Hotel Association, Amazon Ecopark Jungle Lodge, Grupo Cataratas, Turismo360, and Ecoe.
A major step forward in sustainable public procurement was also announced during the The One Planet Network Forum 2024, with UNOPS, a leading UN entity with an annual Information and Communication Technology (ICT) procurement volume of USD 145 million , joining the Circular and Fair ICT Pact as a procuring participant under the One Planet Network Sustainable Public Procurement Programme. This move is expected to drive substantial progress in circularity and fairness in ICT procurement by the United Nations – thus further walking the talk.
And finally, during a dedicated awards ceremony during the Forum, 10 youth-led projects from Youth4Climate, a global initiative co-led by the Government of Italy and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), received funding of up to USD 30,000 each. These initiatives aim to advance the shift towards sustainable consumption practices and to support and scale youth-led climate breakthroughs.
Read the outcome document at the OPN Forum 2024.
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November 5, 2024
Implementing circular IT practices can help reduce environmental risk and save money. Knowing where to start can be a key challenge. TCO Development's new guide offers practical advice on procuring IT products that support a circular economy, helping organizations thrive in a sustainable future.
Step 1: Partner with sustainability-driven suppliers
Engage in open dialogs, meetings, and requests for information (RFI) to gather information. Clearly communicate your organization's sustainability and circularity ambitions and needs. Specify the sustainability data you require access to ensure transparency and accountability.
Step 2: Include circular criteria in procurement policies and processes
To enable circular IT management, products must be designed for longevity. Materials and components should be easily accessible and available.
Step 3: Prioritize durable, high-capacity products
Adopt a long-term perspective when purchasing IT products. Choose high-performance products with enough capacity to meet the organization's needs for several years. Consider replacing traditional software with cloud-based solutions to reduce performance demands and extend product lifespan.
Step 4: Embrace the Second-Hand Market
Maximizing product life is critical for a circular economy. When a product no longer meets the initial user’s needs, it should be redistributed or sold to a second user. Second-hand purchases offer both cost savings and a reduced sustainability impact.
Step 5: Establish Clear KPIs
Identifying the right KPIs helps your organization meet legal requirements on sustainability reporting and take steps toward meeting internal or external circularity goals. For IT, the negative sustainability impacts are embedded in the products you use. Indirect climate impact (scope 3 emissions) stems from the manufacturing phase. Extending product lifespan directly reduces annual Scope 3 emissions.
Download the full guide at TCO Development website.
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