Green Public Procurement Lessons from the Fields: Canada, France, Italy, Portugal, Netherlands and Switzerland

Explores the practical implementation of environmental concerns into public contracts.

Integrating environmental considerations into public contracts is now largely possible, enabling public purchasers to become real players in the fight against the ecological emergency and to influence the practices and behavior of economic operators. However, in practice, environmental aspects are often not implemented into contracts to any great extent. The aim of Green Public Procurement is to highlight and understand the practical obstacles preventing a genuine environmentalization of public procurement. Starting with the regulations in force in Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Switzerland, the research then focuses, through field surveys, on the various national obstacles preventing the development of green public procurement.

François Lichère is professor of public law at the Jean Moulin University Lyon 3 and director of the Chair of Public Contracts Law. A specialist in public contracts and public economic law, he has written numerous articles and books in both French and English.