How Reforming the European Union's Public Procurement Directive Can Help Drive a Green Transition

The document identifies that the 2014 legal framework for EU public procurement has failed to mainstream green purchasing due to fragmented rules, legal uncertainty, and the voluntary nature of green public procurement (GPP). It proposes shifting to mandatory GPP to create market signals for sustainable investment and establishing harmonized data systems to track climate impacts. The brief notes that public procurement constitutes approximately 15% of the EU's GDP and 10% of its greenhouse gas emissions.

• Public procurement in the European Union accounts for approximately 15% of the region's GDP and is responsible for roughly 10% of its greenhouse gas emissions.
• The 2014 legal framework for public procurement has failed to mainstream strategic and green purchasing because of three main obstacles: legal uncertainty, fragmented legal frameworks, and the fact that green public procurement (GPP) is voluntary.
• The brief recommends transitioning GPP from a voluntary to a mandatory system with clear environmental requirements to reduce legal uncertainty and stimulate investment in sustainable services and goods.
• To ensure measurable sustainability and climate impacts, the document suggests creating harmonized data systems to improve the monitoring and accountability of GPP implementation.

APA

Erizaputri,, R. B. C. (2025). How Reforming the European Union's Public Procurement Directive Can Help Drive a Green Transition. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/european-union-green-public-procurement

Chicago

Erizaputri,, Ronja Bechauf,Liesbeth Casier,Sharmila. How Reforming the European Union's Public Procurement Directive Can Help Drive a Green Transition. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2025. https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/european-union-green-public-procurement.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Erizaputri, |first1=Ronja Bechauf,Liesbeth Casier,Sharmila |title=How Reforming the European Union's Public Procurement Directive Can Help Drive a Green Transition |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=25 April 2025 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/european-union-green-public-procurement |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{erizaputri2025how, author = {Erizaputri,, Ronja Bechauf,Liesbeth Casier,Sharmila}, title = {{How Reforming the European Union's Public Procurement Directive Can Help Drive a Green Transition}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2025}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/european-union-green-public-procurement}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }