Canada

1. By Alexander Belyakov
Ljiljana Miljkovic

2. Content
 What is Sustainable Procurement?
 Why implement a Sustainable Procurement?
 Does Canada implement it?
 Canadian Public Procurement Policies
 Sustainable Procurement in different levels of
Canadian Governments
 Examples: GTA, City of Vancouver, Halifax
 Green procurement vs. Sustainable Procurement

3. What is Sustainable Procurement
 A process whereby organizations meet their needs for
goods and services in a way that achieves value for
money on a whole life basis in terms of generating
benefits not only for the organization, but also to
society and the economy, whilst minimizing damage
to the environment.
Procuring the Future, 2006

4. Why implement a Sustainable
Procurement?
 Showcases the commitment of
an organization
 Removes arbitrary
consideration
 Provides authority when
encountering resistance to
change
 Enable competitive advantage
 Compliance with regulations
(depending on the jurisdiction)

5. Does Canada implement it?
 Public procurement – in use since 1980s
 Sustainable procurement - requires wider application
by authorities

6. Canadian Public Procurement
Policies
 1986 - Federal Contractors Program
- ensuring non-discrimination
- complemented the Federal Employment
Equity Act
 1996 Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern
Development announced procurement measures
- increase the participation of aboriginal businesses in
bidding for federal government contracts

7. Sustainable Procurement in
Canada
 Driving force was
- an international
momentum towards
greener purchasing
- worldwide demand for
environmentally
preferable products and
services

8. Federal Government’s response
 2005 – founded Office of Greening
Government Operations (OGGO)
 2006 - OGGO developed Policy on Green
Procurement
- requires all government bodies to develop green
procurement targets
 Most governmental bodies developed green
procurement policies, but to what degree?!

9. Provincial and Local Governments
 Focus on different stages
 Education and support
- involving non-governmental partners
- stakeholders
- charities to promote learning
 Emphasis on specific products/services

10. Provincial and Local Governments

11. The Green Procurement
Community of Practice (GP COP)
 Provides a forum for government purchasing staff
 Connect experts and practitioners and
 Create a collaborative and cooperative learning
environment
 Does such forums provide needed informational and
other types of support to governmental officials in
sustainable procurement?

12. The city of Vancouver
 Initiated pre-procurement
- actions purchaser takes prior to issuing a tender for
a particular product or service.
- involves engagement with businesses; a two-way
exchange of information
 General principle:
- engage local businesses and inform the City about
their sustainable products and technologies
- help businesses learn about the City’s
future and current green technology needs

13. Halifax Regional Municipality
 Sustainable Procurement Collaboration Initiative
 Focuses on:
- creating cross-departmental coordination team
- enabling collaboration with vendors and community
 Successes in sustainable procurement :
- EcoLogo; certified cleaning products
- environmentally preferable office
supplies
- recyclable batteries
- refurbishment etc.

14. ’Green’ Procurement vs.
Sustainable Procurement
an umbrella
Sustainable approach
Procurement [social +environmental
issues]

15. ’Green’ Procurement vs.
Sustainable Procurement
 Does this umbrella approach actually work
when it comes to concrete purchasing decisions?
 What is the understanding of terminology and its
application by authorities?
 Are there cases of conflicting requirements from
green procurement standards and those procurement
standards related to other social goals, such as for
example labor rights?

16. Conclusion
 Market Confusion and Sustainable Procurement
 Challenges with Sustainable Procurement:
- Financial
- Lack of benchmark tools
- Resistance to change
 Minimizes impact on the environment
 In accord with 3R’s: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

17. References
 CLEAN AIR PARTNERSHIP, 2011. Green Procurement Policies and Actions.
Available from: www.cleanairpartnership.org [Accessed on 3. April 2012].
 DEFRA. Procuring the Future. Sustainable Procurement National Action Plan:
Recommendations from the Sustainable Procurement Task Force. Available
from: www.archive.defra.gov.uk [Accessed on 3. April 2012].
 HALIFAX REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY. Procurement Division. Sustainable
Procurement Collaboration Initiative. Available from:
http://www.summitconnects.com/Summit_Magazine/LPP_Submissions/Regional%2
[Accessed on 3. April 2012].
 MCCRUDDEN, CHRISTOPHER, 2004. Using public procurement to achieve
social outcomes. Natural Resources Forum 28, 257–267.
 NAJJAR, NOURI. Sustainable Pre-Procurement: A Mechanism to Advance
Vancouver’s Green and Creative Sectors. Vancouver Economic Commission.
Available from: www.vancouvereconomic.com [Accessed on 3. April 2012].
 SHRYBMAN, STEVEN, 2010. Municipal Procurement Implications of the
Proposed Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between
Canada and the European Union. Centre for Civic Governance. Vancouver, BC.