Sustainable Public Procurement in the Sao Paulo State Government:

This policy brief analyzes the Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) policies of the Sao Paulo State Government in Brazil, detailing the institutional, legal, and procedural frameworks used to integrate socio-environmental criteria into the purchase of goods, services, and construction works.

• The Sao Paulo State Government manages a significant procurement budget of approximately US$12 billion annually across more than 1,800 procuring units, which it leverages to promote sustainable development.
• The state's SPP framework is built upon a Socio-Environmental Label based on nine criteria, including the reduction of pollutants, waste minimization, and the adoption of technologies with lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventional ones.
• For the procurement of goods, the government focuses on 'Class A' items—frequently purchased goods representing 20% of total consumption—and grants the Socio-Environmental Label to specific descriptions to guide procurers toward greener options.
• The state utilizes the Cadterc Studies to integrate sustainability into service procurement, with over 700 standards requiring contractors to meet environmental goals like water reduction and social goals such as providing meal vouchers and accident insurance for employees.
• In construction works, the government focuses on the legal origin of timber through the Cadmadeira registry and the Legal Timber Label, as applying a general label to diverse engineering services is considered too difficult.
• The state employs electronic reverse auctions to ensure economic sustainability and transparency, which has resulted in procurement cost savings of approximately 20%.
• Sabesp, a state-controlled basic sanitation company, uses a rigorous pre-qualification process involving questionnaires and on-site factory inspections to ensure suppliers meet socio-environmental standards before they can be selected.
• To ensure compliance, the state maintains an Administrative Sanctions website that lists a 'blacklist' of suppliers prohibited from participating in procurement due to non-compliance with socio-environmental norms.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). Sustainable Public Procurement in the Sao Paulo State Government:. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/spp_sao_paulo_brief.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Sustainable Public Procurement in the Sao Paulo State Government:. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/spp_sao_paulo_brief.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Sustainable Public Procurement in the Sao Paulo State Government: |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/spp_sao_paulo_brief.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndsustainable, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Sustainable Public Procurement in the Sao Paulo State Government:}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/spp_sao_paulo_brief.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }