Between January 27 and 31, 2014, ICLEI conducted a technical visit to the United Kingdom as part of the project "Sustainable Procurement through Innovation and a Green and Inclusive Economy," which is supported by the British Embassy in Brasília.

The main objective of the visit was to support the improvement of the technical and institutional capacity of representatives of the Brazilian government, focusing on the inclusion of sustainability attributes in public procurement to promote economic efficiency, innovation, and also reduce environmental and social impacts. In addition to representatives from the Ministries benefiting from the Project, the Ministry of Planning, Budget and Management (MP) and the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MDIC), representatives from the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) and the Post Office also participated in the visit.

The Brazilian delegation consisted of:

– Ms. Loreni Foresti – Secretary of Logistics and Information Technology (SLTI)/MP

– Ms. Ana Maria Xavier – Director of the Logistics and General Services Department of the Secretariat of Logistics and Information Technology (SLTI) / MP

– Mr. Alexandre Comin – Director of the Department of Industrial Competitiveness (DECOI)/MDIC
– Ms. Beatriz Martins Carneiro – General Coordinator of Competitiveness Analysis and Sustainable Development / MDIC

– Mr. Junnius Marques Arifa – Secretary of External Control of Agriculture and Environment / TCU

– Mr. Rodrigo Figueiró de Andrade – Head of Department of the Vice-Presidency of Administration / Post Office

– Ms. Florence Laloë – Executive Secretary – CEO / ICLEI SAMS

– Ms. Ivone Dezaneti – British Embassy in Brasília

During the five-day visit, institutions from different sectors hosted the Brazilian delegation to share their experiences and best practices. A workshop was also held to deepen the participants' knowledge of the respective topics. Participants actively took part in the meetings and had access to much relevant information that can be adapted to the Brazilian context.

Check out the list of institutions that shared their experiences with the Brazilian delegation:

– Department for Business, Innovation and Skills – BIS;

– Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs – DEFRA;

Transport for London

– WRAP

Johnson Matthey

Carbon Trust

London Fire Brigade

Forum for the Future

– Sustainable Procurement Limited

– Manchester Institute of Innovation Research

Big Innovation Center

– ICLEI’s Global Sustainable Procurement Center

Technology Strategy Board

Birmingham City Council

ISEAL Alliance