Green Public Procurement (GPP)

Green Public Procurement (GPP) is the voluntary policy framework through which European public buyers use their purchasing power to drive environmental improvement. Rather than buying on price alone, contracting authorities set specifications, award criteria, and contract performance conditions that favour lower-carbon, less-polluting, and resource-efficient solutions. Although GPP is not legally mandatory in most product sectors, it is strongly encouraged across the EU and has become a de facto requirement in several member states and in UK central government procurement.

What is Green Public Procurement (GPP)?

GPP means integrating environmental considerations at every stage of a procurement process. Under Directive 2014/24/EU, contracting authorities may include environmental characteristics in technical specifications (Article 42), award criteria (Article 67), and contract performance clauses (Article 70). This gives buyers three complementary levers:

Technical specifications. Setting minimum environmental thresholds that all compliant tenders must meet, for example requiring that office paper carry a recognised ecolabel or that vehicles meet defined emission standards under the Clean Vehicle Directive (2019/1161).

Award criteria. Rewarding bids that go beyond the minimum, for instance scoring extra points for a lower carbon footprint or for products with an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).

Contract performance conditions. Requiring suppliers to report on energy consumption, manage waste to a defined standard, or achieve carbon reduction milestones during contract delivery.

The European Commission publishes voluntary GPP Criteria (EU) for more than 20 product and service categories, ranging from computers and office furniture to food catering and construction. These criteria exist at two levels: Core GPP Criteria that any authority can adopt with minimal verification burden, and Comprehensive GPP Criteria for authorities seeking best-in-class environmental performance.

In the UK, the Procurement Policy Note 06/21 (Taking Account of Carbon Reduction Plans) requires suppliers bidding for major central government contracts to submit a carbon reduction plan, effectively embedding GPP considerations into selection and award.

Why GPP matters for bidders

GPP reshapes what it takes to win European public contracts. Authorities that adopt GPP criteria will reject bids that do not meet minimum environmental thresholds, regardless of price. Suppliers who can demonstrate superior environmental performance through third-party verified labels such as the EU Ecolabel, or through quantified Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) data, gain a structural scoring advantage.

Understanding whether a contracting authority has adopted Core or Comprehensive criteria determines the evidence burden. Core criteria typically accept self-declaration or widely available certifications. Comprehensive criteria often require third-party verification, product-specific EPDs, or detailed supply chain data.

Example

A Dutch municipality issues a contract for office furniture. Its technical specification requires that all materials be sourced from certified sustainable forests (Core GPP criterion). As an award criterion, it allocates 20 points out of 100 to products carrying an EU Ecolabel or equivalent third-party certification. A supplier with uncertified timber fails the minimum threshold regardless of price; a supplier with Ecolabel-certified products gains a scoring advantage over non-labelled competitors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is GPP legally mandatory?

GPP is voluntary at EU level for most product categories, though member states may make it mandatory in national legislation. Several EU countries, including France, Germany, and the Netherlands, have national GPP action plans with binding or semi-binding targets for certain procurement categories. In the UK, some environmental requirements (notably the carbon reduction plan for major contracts) are mandatory for central government.

How do I know if a contract uses GPP criteria?

GPP requirements appear in the contract notice, in the technical specifications document, and in the award criteria section of the invitation to tender. Bidovate surfaces environmental criteria fields from TED and national portals to help you identify GPP-heavy opportunities before you invest in a bid.

Do GPP criteria conflict with equal treatment rules?

No. EU procurement law expressly permits environmental award criteria and technical specifications provided they are linked to the subject matter of the contract, published in advance, and applied consistently to all bidders. The Court of Justice of the EU confirmed in multiple rulings that environmental considerations are a legitimate and proportionate basis for procurement decisions.