Open, Sustainable Government Procurement. For People, Planet and Prosperity

Growing concern over climate change and sustainability has encouraged governments across the world to make commitments to achieve net zero carbon emissions, reduce deforestation, and to promote greener, environmentally- and socially- responsible supply chains. Governments will need to source and buy things in a fundamentally different way to meet these objectives.

Currently, public procurement represents around 15% of global GDP – one in every 3 dollars that they spend – adding up to an enormous $13 trillion of spending every year. The Boston Consulting Group estimates that spending is also responsible for 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions each year: seven times as much as the entire aviation industry. 

We commissioned research talking to dozens of frontline procurement practitioners, often in lower technology contexts.

We heard time and time again that people were struggling with:

• Where to get started
• How to break the tyranny of lowest price
• How to set out a clear plan and direction
• How to engage stakeholders
• How to measure progress

We’ve attempted to answer these questions in this brief.