This help page provides guidance on completing section 3.4 'Green public procurement' of your organisation's Statement on compliance with the 2023 Climate Action Mandate.
§3.4 Green public procurement
Implement Green Public Procurement (GPP), in line with the EPA Green Public Procurement Guidance and using GPP Criteria Search where appropriate. All public bodies shall:
- Cease using disposable cups, plates and cutlery from any public sector canteen or closed facility, excluding clinical (i.e., non-canteen healthcare) environments;
- Specify low carbon construction methods and low carbon cement material as far as practicable for directly procured or supported construction projects from 2023.
Please note that the GPP guidance linked below was updated in 2024 to reflect policy and legislative changes; however the bulk of the document remains the same as the 2021 guidance referenced in CAP2023.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published updated GPP Guidance for the Public Sector in September 2021. The ten criteria sets published are Road Transport Vehicles & Services; ICT Products & Services; Food & Catering Services; Indoor Cleaning Services; Office Buildings Design, Construction & Management; Indoor & Outdoor Lighting; Heating Equipment; Energy related Products, Paper Products & Printing Services and Textile Products and Services.
In 2022, the Office of Government Procurement launched GPP Criteria Search, an online search tool that allows the user to rapidly find, select, and download the Irish GPP criteria relevant to a specific procurement project. The criteria are available at gppcriteria.gov.ie
Provide details confirming minimum criteria have been met
Provide explanation
Provide explanation and plan for inclusion of GPP criteria in procurement
Disposable (or single use) cups, plates and cutlery are those which are used only once or for a short period of time before they are discarded. The ban applies to the above disposable tableware products regardless of the material they are made from and includes those described/marked as recyclable, compostable or biodegradable.
Canteens/facilities can be operated by an organisation, by a third-party contractor or self-service and, in all instances, the mandate applies.
The mandate also applies to “equipment only" facilities where tea and coffee are provided but staff bring their own food.
Organisations should ensure:
Provide details of actions taken
Provide explanation and timeline for completion
Provide explanation
For the 2023 reporting period public bodies should consider whether any construction related procurement that they have carried out has considered issues such as best practice design to minimise carbon emissions, use of lower carbon cement and concrete material and use of any Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for materials used.
Climate Action Plan 2023 sets out in action EN/23/12 the need to specify low carbon construction methods and low carbon cement material as far as practicable for directly procured or supported construction projects from 2023.
Note that further guidance has been published in 2024 which will inform reporting on compliance with the 2024 Climate Action Mandate.
Provide an overview of relevant projects
Provide explanation
Provide explanation
Confirm that no construction projects were undertaken