FAQs

Sustainable public procurement is a strategic framework to integrate economic, social, environmental and institutional governance development objectives throughout the procurement cycle.

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By considering these factors in the project procurement process and by supporting national sustainability reforms, sustainable procurement can bring about transformational change on climate goals, improve environmental performance, improve social diversity, promote gender equality and women’s entrepreneurship, increase inclusivity, reduce inequality, support workers’ rights, enhance safeguard against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, and contribute to market innovation.

Sustainability is at the core of development and procurement is not an exception. Global public procurement amounts to over US$13 trillion annually (or around 15 percent of global GDP) and can play a crucial and strategic role to support achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), as well as the priorities identified in our client countries’ long term national development plans.

Procurement in development projects offers opportunities in many countries to maximize environmental and social benefits and transition to a more sustainable development trajectory. Infrastructure and civil works projects require purchases in carbon-intensive heavy industries (e.g. concrete, steel, aggregate, aluminum) that require decarbonization to reach national climate goals.

A shift to sustainable procurement on both project and country system levels can make a significant impact. It is critical that we begin to develop tools and approaches to maximize our chance of rebuilding better than the status quo and laying the groundwork for a prosperous, socially inclusive, gender responsive, just green transition that includes sustainable procurement practices.

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This resource library aims to provide detailed case studies, examples, and reference tools on SPP for procurement officers working in MDB financed projects. It supports the practical application of sustainable procurement in different project contexts, especially in emerging economies and developing countries.

It aims to share resources across the global MDB community for integrating SPP at both a national public procurement system level and within project operations procurement, by offering country, sector, criteria/impact and heavy industry-focused libraries on sustainable procurement with advanced search functionalities.

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MDBs can lead by example in many countries by integrating sustainability (environmental, social, economic, and institutional considerations) into their own operations procurement policies and practices. See the Joint MDB Statement on Mainstreaming SPP.

MDBs can send strong signals across markets by enabling integration of sustainability-related criteria into tenders for development projects. MDBs can also play an important role by supporting countries to integrate sustainable procurement policies into their national legal frameworks and operational processes, and promote them through capacity building, digitalization, and market initiatives.

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The SPP Resource Hub is driven by collaboration between procurement, country, industry, sector and thematic experts from different MDBs, governments and institutions, and reviewed by a taskforce under the MDB Heads of Procurement Working Group on Sustainable Procurement.

To submit a resource, contact the administrator at Sustainableprocurement@adb.org.

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The content of the resource hub is contributed by different MDBs, (listed in the Home Page as Project Partners). The hub is administered by the Asian Development Bank with support from other Project Partners as part of its commitment under the Joint Statement of Sustainable Procurement Initiatives signed by the Heads of Procurement at Multilateral Development Banks.

Under this Commitment, MDBs collectively aim to drive the transformation of public procurement towards greater sustainability, including by promoting “grounded sustainable procurement solutions and approaches by combining efforts and sharing existing and newly created knowledge, resources and tools where appropriate.”

Aligned with the Joint Statement, MDB partners are invited to join this initiative and incorporate, when feasible within respective MDB mandates and policies, this tool into country level / project level procurement operations to inform our clients’ decision making and procurement outcomes and to support clients with technical assistance.

To inquire about partnership opportunities, contact the administrator at Sustainableprocurement@adb.org.

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