Government spending contributes to a significant share of the national GDP (between 8 and up to 30% in some countries); in fact a government is usually the largest consumer in a national economy. Public procurement disposes of a major potential to shift to more sustainable production patterns, through sustainable government consumption itself, but also through governments’ role-setting for the private sector and through the creation of new markets for sustainable products.
What is Sustainable Procurement?
Sustainable Procurement is a process whereby organisations meet their needs for goods, services, works and utilities in a way that achieves "value for money on a whole life basis" in terms of generating benefits not only to the organisation, but also to society and the economy, whilst minimising damage to the environment.
Definition from "Procuring the Future" – the report of the UK Sustainable Procurement Task Force, June 2006