Steering Committees comprised of municipal authority staff and procurement experts have been set up by the GreenS project in seven European countries with the aim of driving uptake of green public procurement (GPP) at local and regional level. The project aims to use GPP to help meet the EU’s goal of a 20 percent reduction in energy use in Europe by 2020.

The newly established Steering Committees in Italy, Cyprus, Spain, Latvia, Sweden, Slovenia and Bulgaria play an important role in institutionalising GPP in these countries, helping with the development and implementation of GPP strategies, including influencing GPP standards. These committees will promote training and consultation for relevant officials, and will discuss barriers and challenges with procurers in each region.

“Cities and regions will be provided with the knowledge to engage in greener procurement, benefitting from long-term support and technical assistance. This will not only have a positive impact on individual areas, but will help Europe as a whole. By turning energy agencies and local authorities on to GPP we can ensure that public money is spent in a way that is good for our environment and our cities,“ said Philipp Tepper, Coordinator at ICLEI Europe.

For more information, visit greensproject.eu.