https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/single-market/public-procurement_en

Climate change-related procurement case-studies: 

• Green Procurement Guidelines of Hamburg: The city of Hamburg has become a pioneer in sustainable procurement by developing Green Procurement Guidelines which oblige contracting authorities to avoid negative environmental impacts in the production, delivery, use, and disposal of goods and services to be procured, insofar as this is economically justifiable. Since 2013, Hamburg has incorporated ecological criteria such as life-cycle costs, reparability, and recyclability, packaging, transport, climate impact, and resource consumption into the selection and awarding process, and these factors can now be taken into account as a binding element when awarding contracts. 
• The Greater London Authority Group’s Responsible Procurement Policy ensures that London’s ambitious climate, circular economy and air quality goals are given priority in procurement decisions. Working with suppliers, the GLA is identifying opportunities to reduce emissions through the sourcing of zero carbon energy and vehicles, and zero-emission vehicles, while encouraging suppliers to be more circular, including in construction projects and contracts for uniforms.
• Barcelona City Council procured a service to rent 145 hybrid vehicles for Barcelona’s municipal police. It has been estimated that this contract led to an annual reduction of 51.9 tonnes CO2 and 0.39 GWh of energy. 
• The Municipality of Herning aimed to expand the lifespan of uniforms procured for their operations department. With the TEKO Design School, it explored opportunities to increase the reuse and recycling of working clothes. The Municipality developed detailed guidance on the criteria for the reuse, repair and disposal of working clothes. Circular principles were introduced to the contractor from whom the clothes were leased through a service-based model. It was estimated that savings of EUR 6,700 and 1,011 tonnes of CO2 were achieved over a four-year period in Herning’s technical operations department. 
• When two municipal buildings reached the end of their functional life, Hjørring Municipality procured a demolition service which aimed to recover and recycle the bricks. Following a feasibility study and thorough screening of the buildings for toxic substances, the requirements for dismantling bricks were developed in collaboration with the municipal waste disposal company who agreed to purchase the reclaimed bricks. Around 16,000 bricks, enough to build an average-sized single-family house, were reclaimed from the two buildings. The project has resulted in total savings of 10,950 kg of CO2. Based on the positive results of this pilot, Hjørring Municipality will continue to include requirements for the recycling of bricks from municipal buildings wherever possible, and will also explore how to incorporate recycling criteria for other building materials. 
• Mayor William Peduto, City of Pittsburgh, USA, issued an Executive Order in 2021 that builds upon Pittsburgh’s leadership in fighting climate change by committing the city to become fully carbon-neutral by 2050. Leveraging the city’s procurement is one of the cornerstones for reaching carbon neutrality. The Order reviews concrete steps the Peduto Administration has taken the past seven years on climate change efforts and lays out the next moves City of Pittsburgh departments and authorities must make to further protect the environment.
• Public procurement for innovative NBS and Green Infrastructure interventions