Green Public Procurement

Opportunities and Challenges for India

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GPP prioritizes environment-friendly products in government procurement, aiming to reduce the nation’s ecological footprint. India’s efforts in this area began with the Draft Public Procurement Bill of 2012, followed by the formation of a Task Force on Sustainable Public Procurement in 2018. Saon Ray and Agastya Kushari delve into the requirements for successful implementation of GPP viz., robust policy framework, awareness, and scaling up of GPP tools.

The discussions at COP 29 highlighted that Green Public Procurement (GPP) is not just a policy tool but a critical lever for achieving broader climate goals through stimulating demand for greener products (UNFCCC, 2024). GPP is a practice where governments and central authorities prioritize procuring goods and services that minimize environmental impact throughout their lifecycle (EPA). This article examines GPP in India, where public procurement constitutes approximately 20 per cent of the GDP (Ministry of Finance, 2019). This provides vast potential for GPP for sustainable economic development and influences the nation’s environmental footprint.

Early Initiatives and the Draft Public Procurement Bill (2012)