This policy brief explores the critical role of Green Public Procurement (GPP), focusing on the ongoing research activities conducted by three university research groups. The authors present their findings and insights into the adoption and impact of GPP in Italy.
One research line studies the current state of the art and the adoption of GPP at the national level, considering the recent adoption of minimum environmental criteria (CAM, or "Criteri Ambientali Minimi" in Italian). The promotion of GPP by public authorities in Italy is analyzed, focusing on the sector of school canteens: researchers identify keywords, analyze tender characteristics and propose a novel "degree of greenness" indicator. They also extend their analysis to regulations similar to CAMs adopted in other EU countries.
One work exploits a discontinuity in the characteristics of the public buyer which can be used for studying the adoption of GPP. It investigates qualitative and quantitative elements in green procurement tenders, analyzing information on all the tenders awarded by local municipalities to assess greenness impact on the awarding and execution phases. In particular, the use of AI is proposed to systematically analyze textual information in procurement documents, allowing for a more precise understanding of the greenness of public contracts and award mechanisms.
A different research strand merges different sources of firm-level data to explore how SMEs’ entry into public procurement is influenced by green and sustainable procurement rules. In particular, it examines the Legality Rating to understand the impact on sustainable practices among SMEs.
The outcome will provide policymakers with empirical evidence aimed at enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of public tenders while promoting sustainability goals. It emphasizes the importance of efficient and strategic procurement for achieving economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social inclusivity. It suggests that policy interventions should consider the characteristics of SMEs, encouraging innovation and providing support to bridge the gap in meeting sustainability standards. Recommendations include flexible Legality Ratings for SMEs, avoiding penalization, and introducing preferential treatment for SMEs in public tenders.
These works underline the importance of public data availability for analyzing sustainability issues. It suggests integrating existing public databases with artificial intelligence to enhance the classification of green procurement and promote data-driven policy-making.
