Green Procurement is the Key to Green Growth

22 October 2012

Major potential

- Public procurement plays an enormous role in global markets. In Denmark alone, public procurement amounts to 17% of GDP. This corresponds to annual purchases of more than DKK 200 billion. If we in the public sector were better at buying green, we could solve several problems at once. We would be improving the climate and environment at the same time as creating growth and jobs at enterprises which develop green technology. In other words, green procurement is one of the keys to transforming the world to a green economy, said Ida Auken, Minister for the Environment.

Providing a base for concrete projects

The Minister has written the foreword to the report entitled "Procurement, Innovation and Green Growth: The story continues...”, which was launched at the Global Green Growth conference in Copenhagen earlier this month, attended by the Partnership for Procurement and Green Growth. The Partnership includes members from throughout the world and it is working to launch concrete projects together across continents.

- We're among the greenest purchasers in the EU. That's why other countries listen to us. Therefore it's vital that Denmark is active in international work on green public procurement, so that we can promote the cause. We're taking part in the Partnership for Procurement and Green Growth under the Global Green Growth Forum, and we were one of the first countries to endorse the UN international initiative for sustainable procurement, said Ida Auken.

Denmark already in the game

At home, Denmark has implemented a large number of initiatives to promote green public procurement, including the Forum for Sustainable Procurement and the Partnership for Green Public Procurement with front-runner municipalities. The government is also working on a new strategy for intelligent public procurement, which among other things aims at contributing to a green transition.

Further information:

Mikkel Stenbæk Hansen, Deputy Head of Department, Danish Environmental Protection Agency, tel. +45 72 54 43 43 e-mail: [email protected]

Grethe Linder Vinther, Communication Officer, Minister's Department, tel. +45 72 54 60 60 / 20 86 34 76 e-mail: [email protected]

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