On 4 April 2024, the Government approved the Green Public Procurement Strategy and Action Plan. The Plan 'Buying Greener: Green Public Procurement Strategy and Action Plan 2024-2027' (GPP Plan 2024-2027) was finalised after the draft Plan was subject to a public consultation last October (on which ALG's procurement team produced a detailed note on: see here)
Replacing the previous national policy 'Green Tenders- An Action Plan on Green Public Procurement', the GPP Plan 2024-2027 modernises Ireland's public sector purchasing strategy to support its environmental and wider sustainability goals. With public bodies in Ireland (excluding utilities) recording an estimated spend of €18.5 bn on goods, services and works annually, the GPP Plan 2024-2027 focuses the public purse on green and circular procurement practices. In turn, these procurement practices will drive "the provision of more resource-efficient, low carbon, less polluting goods, services and works".
The GPP Plan 2024-2027 has five key objectives:
- Use Green Public Procurement (GPP) as a tool to drive Ireland's transition to a sustainable and low carbon economy;
- Ensure GPP is an essential part of Ireland's procurement process and in associated governance structures;
- Adopt measures to include green criteria in all public procurement, where possible;
- Support further development of GPP knowledge and expertise, and participate in international efforts to promote GPP as a mechanism for sustainable production and consumption; and
- Support market conditions to cultivate sustainable and innovative solutions for GPP.
Actions on GPP
These five objectives will be achieved through 54 actions set out in the GPP Plan 2024-2027. Relevant action points for public bodies and the corresponding timelines include:
Sectors/ products with GPP related targets
Under the GPP Plan 2024-2027, key public procurement sectors and products now have GPP targets. Examples of these targets include:
Monitoring the GPP Plan 2024-2027
Overall responsibility for the GPP Plan 2024-2027 rests with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The GPP Plan 2024-2027 will be monitored and reviewed annually, with a GPP Action Plan Task Force to be established to monitor the implementation and progress of the Plan.
Next steps
The GPP Plan 2024-2027 is the roadmap for public bodies to achieve key environmental commitments in line with the broader climate action plan adopted by the Government. Public bodies should be aware of their action points on GPP and any sectoral or product specific targets that might affect them. All public bodies must now implement measures to ensure adherence to the GPP Plan 2024-2027.
Originally published 1 May 2024.
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