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

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development argues for reforming the European Union's Public Procurement Directive to transition from voluntary to mandatory green public procurement (GPP) to better align public spending with climate goals.

• Public procurement in the European Union accounts for approximately 15% of the GDP and roughly 10% of greenhouse gas emissions, making the reform of the Public Procurement Directive a key opportunity to meet climate goals and improve competitiveness.
• The 2014 legal framework has failed to mainstream strategic and green purchasing due to three primary obstacles: legal uncertainty, the voluntary nature of green public procurement (GPP), and fragmented legal frameworks.
• The brief recommends two primary reforms: transitioning GPP from voluntary to mandatory to create stronger market signals and reduce legal uncertainty, and establishing harmonized data systems to improve monitoring, transparency, and accountability of sustainability impacts.

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} }