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Project title

Opportunities for Green Public Procurement to improve implementation of circular practice

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

National University of Ireland Galway (NUIG)

Lead Applicant

Patrick McGetrick

Project Abstract

Green Public Procurement (GPP) has been identified as a policy instrument to reduce the environmental impact of public expenditure on goods and services, which is significant; average annual public sector spending can reach 11% of Ireland's GDP. Green criteria are already used within sustainable procurement of stationery, IT equipment, cleaning products, vehicle fleets and to a certain extent within construction projects. However, there exist further opportunities to accelerate GPP through adoption and application of recommended criteria developed as part of the EU GPP Toolkit. For example, public investment can make up to 50% of construction spending in Ireland thus there is significant scope within this sector to embed GPP criteria in practice, such as tender award criteria limiting embodied carbon and clauses defining project team competencies. There are, however, challenges facing accelerated GPP in Ireland: implementation is not yet extensive, particularly in public building projects, due to a number of factors, including the mostly voluntary nature of GPP, lack of awareness, perceived higher cost of “greener" materials, a lack of supporting data on quantification of the associated costs and benefits of GPP, and limited availability of tools for assessing the sustainability or circularity credentials of public building projects. Therefore, in collaboration with public bodies, this project will review current Irish GPP policy and practice at local and national level in relation to the built environment, identifying the potential opportunities to embed GPP in project definition and award criteria, assess the value chain impact of improved GPP strategy, and develop an implementation framework through an innovation systems approach. Strategic case study projects e.g. social housing, schools, or public centres will be identified and undergo life cycle assessment, costing and bio-economic modelling to quantify the environmental, economic and social impacts of GPP, comparing existing practice against alternative circular building design solutions promoted by GPP criteria, including design for disassembly and reuse. Consideration will be given to the substitution effects of low embodied carbon materials, such as timber products, for carbon intensive materials such as steel and concrete, while a list of new products and services for GPP in Ireland will be collated. A Cost-Benefit Analysis tool will be developed to support decision making for GPP implementation. This project will be delivered by leading researchers at NUI Galway, together with partners in Galway City and County Councils, the Atlantic Seaboard North Climate Action Regional Office (CARO) and the Department of Education, bringing together significant expertise in building design, environmental economics and social policy, timber engineering, lifecycle assessment, public procurement, architecture and planning of public infrastructure projects. Direct partnership with public project planning, procurement and design teams will enable an effective review and pathway to embed project findings and training materials in local and national GPP policy, implementation and practice.

Grant Approved

�193,500.00

Research Hub

Green and Circular Economy

Research Theme

n/a

Start Date

01/03/2022

Initial Projected Completion Date

28/02/2025