The meeting brought together state representatives, experts, and institutional partners to discuss strategies, regulatory advancements, and practical solutions focused on sustainability in public procurement.

Last Wednesday (06), ICLEI held the 1st Training Session of the Sustainable Public Procurement Project (CP+), bringing together 165 representatives from participating states, institutional partners and experts for a moment of technical training and strategic alignment on the subject, with a significant participation that demonstrates the relevance of the topic for subnational governments. The activity marks the beginning of the project's training path and reinforces the commitment to strengthening public policies focused on sustainability in government procurement.

Organized in partnership with GIZ, within the scope of the EcoAdvance project, the meeting aimed to strengthen state capacities for the implementation of sustainable public procurement practices in Brazil. Throughout the program, key themes were discussed, such as the role of public procurement as a strategic instrument of public policy, its potential to drive innovation, efficiency in public spending, job creation and strengthening of local markets, as well as its contribution to sustainable development and circular economy agendas.

The training also addressed recent regulatory advancements, notably Law No. 14,133/2021, which expands the traditional logic of lowest price to an approach oriented towards the best value and the life cycle cost of public procurement. During the meeting, ongoing federal initiatives were also presented, such as new functionalities of the Federal Government Procurement Portal, instruments for social inclusion, and mechanisms aimed at promoting sustainability in government procurement.

Among the program's highlights were practical examples of applying sustainable criteria in public tenders, including the acquisition of medical and hospital supplies and air conditioning equipment. The cases presented demonstrated how sustainability, efficiency, and quality can work together in an integrated way in public procurement processes.

This activity inaugurates the CP+ training agenda and reinforces the importance of cooperation between states, partner institutions, and experts for the advancement of concrete solutions and practical tools aimed at consolidating sustainable public procurement in the country.

About the project

The Sustainable Public Procurement Project (CP+) is implemented by ICLEI South America with support from the EcoAdvance project: Environmental labeling and sustainable public procurement, developed jointly by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Öko-Institut. The initiative is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), through the International Climate Protection Initiative (IKI).