The Global Lead City Network on Sustainable Procurement is a group of cities committed to drive the transition to sustainable consumption and production by implementing sustainable and innovation procurement. Participating cities act as ambassadors of sustainable procurement to lead to a resource efficient, low carbon and socially responsible society. Their aim is to share and develop capabilities to implement sustainable purchasing practices, as well as to help develop a supportive political framework for implementation.

ICLEI coordinates the GCLN on Sustainable Public Procurement. Through defining quantified targets for their procurement processes, the GLCN members create political commitment to SPP. This allows them to implement ambitious SPP practices. After announcing quantifiable sustainable procurement related targets at COP23 in Bonn, ICLEI and the network will seek to expand its membership in different world regions, focusing on regional sustainable procurement leaders – in terms of achievements and/or ambition.

ICLEI operates the Helpdesk on behalf of the European Commission, with the goal of providing an easy entry point to GPP for all European public authorities to increase the uptake and professionalization of GPP. Part of the GPP Helpdesk service are the publication of monthly newsletters, answering Helpdesk queries, semi-annual educational webinars on a content management on the European Commission’s GPP website; and dissemination of GPP policy and practice towards the Member States and all other organizations that fall within the scope of the EU Public Procurement Directives.

Public buyers are supported in the identification of their needs and, once ready, connected with SMEs and start-ups able to develop innovative solutions responding to their requirements. A total of five regional procurement of innovation broker schemes will be piloted in the Upper Austria Region, Denmark, North Rhine Westfalia (Germany), Ireland and Andalusia (Spain), then scaled up to a European level. We test innovation procurement brokerage approaches at regional and European level, we support and carry out assessments of public authority needs and we engage with start-ups and SMEs across Europe to find innovative solutions to needs.

This “Leading City Network on Green Public Procurement” project aims to build a leading city network on Green Public Procurement(GPP) among participant’ cities—including Gyeonggi-do province, Goyang City, Bucheon City, Daejeon Metropolitan City and Busan Metropolitan City.

Under this project, ICLEI Korea Office has provided several consultations to enhance the execution of GPP, offered expert lectures to improve awareness, construct a foundation for continuous exchanges and cooperation by creating a domestic network of GPP, and publicize its performance through the ICLEI global networks.

Ultimately, this project helps local governments acknowledge the necessity and significance of Green Public Procurement (GPP) in addressing climate change, and achieving regional sustainable development, and to lay the foundation for voluntary participation.

Ecoinstitute SCCL together with ICLEI is developing the LCC tools in 2018 and 2019. A public consultation on the tool(s) is carried out in cooperation with the Procura+ European Sustainable Procurement Network Interest Group on LCC. Once the tools are developed, they will be publicly availble for procurers to use in their tender procedures.

ICLEI develops procurement guidance including criteria and verfication schemes that consider social responsibility throughout the whole supply-chain of ICT products. Additionally, ICLEI is pilot testing procurement criteria with public authorities and consulting with manufacturers and suppliers of ICT through the Market Engagement series. ICLEI’s ‘Meet the Buyer’ event series brings buyers and suppliers of ICT together to discuss public procurement’s needs for fair labour conditions along ICT hardware supply chains and how suppliers can respond to this demand.

When New York City announced intentions to divest city pension funds from fossil fuel reserve owners by 2022, the move positioned NYC at the center of the global divestment movement. Providing the first in-depth look at the steps NYC took to reach a divestment commitment, ICLEI’ s case study shows how the the largest municipal pension system in the United States has begun to divest billions of dollars from fossil fuels — and demonstrates to peer cities, large and small, that the principles and processes behind fossil fuel divestment are transferable to nearly any location where the will to divest exists.

To achieve the goals of the OPN on SPP the following activities are carried out: Support SPP implementation by assisting procuring entities and procurement practitioners at local, regional, and national levels; Initiate enabling conditions for stimulating change in international sectoral markets through procurement; Advocate and mobilise political leadership and support for sustainable procurement; Support countries in demonstrating the public value (economic, environmental, social) of sustainable procurement implementation.

Procura+ is a network of European public authorities and regions that connect, exchange and act on sustainable and innovation procurement. The network has 45 participating public authorities from 16 European countries. ICLEI offers the Procura+ participants a range of activities and resources to advance their sustainable public procurement work, including recognition through the Procura+ Awards; a city twinning program to facilitate staff exchanges; a platform to share plans and publicize successes; education and professional development opportunities; and the Procura+ manual, an accessible guide supporting public authorities in successfully implementing sustainable public procurement.

The Procura+ East Asia Green Procurement Network aims to accelerate climate and environmental actions by equipping local governments and public authorities in East Asia with advanced knowledge and skills to upscale green and sustainable procurement practices at the local level. Through Procura+ East Asia, participating local authorities will be equipped with GPP approaches and tools via training programs, and will be provided with access to expert guidance on formulating local green specifications and procurement strategies, as well as tender advice on targeted climate and environmental issues. Participants will also have various opportunities to showcase their successful stories and achievements in green procurement on the international stage by participating in forums/workshops, the Procura+ Award, and publishing case studies on the Procura+ Online Platform. The project connects public authorities, solution providers and advocacy in the region to collectively mainstream green procurement practices at the local level, and promote advanced GPP knowledge and experiences for peer learning and exchange internationally.