Sustainable public procurement is the process whereby public sector 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 minimizing, and if possible, avoiding, damage to the environment.
These Green Public Procurement Technical Guidelines and Specifications for Energy-efficient Lighting include a step‑by‑step approach on how to apply sustainability and current best technical criteria for lighting products in accordance with best international regulatory, social and environmental practices, and introduce the rationale to be adopted by procurement practitioners when selecting among a set of products. They cover all office lighting luminaires or sources including LED luminaires and LED tubes, and all street lighting luminaires ranging from highway lighting to small street lighting, including specifications for photovoltaic solar street lighting.
They are a key strategic instrument intended for public procurers, technical personnel and related officers in the expectation that these recommendations are integrated in their day-to-day procurement activities. They are also intended to address policymaker decisions related to public procurement policy development to support their sustainable public procurement implementation in the many relevant public institutions, as well as address those interested in raising awareness of the significant opportunities with climate-friendly and energy-efficient purchases.
