For more than two decades, Ihobe has been promoting stable and solid integration of environmental criteria in procurement and contracting, at all levels of strategic planning. In 2011, it joined Procura+, the European sustainable public procurement network, founded by ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, to support European public authorities and local agencies in the implementation of sustainable procurement practices and the publication of examples of best practice.

Over two days, the Procura+ 2024 Conference brought together more than 200 political representatives and experts to discuss the role of procurement in AI; access to markets for SMEs, startups and social enterprises; digitalisation; e-procurement; life-cycle costing; monitoring; professionalisation; smart cities; social responsibility and supply chain management.

The Procura+ conferences have been held for 25 years and are a benchmark in Europe where participants can exchange and get equipped with the latest professional information, advice and networking opportunities in order to put in place high-quality, cost-effective, sustainable, circular and innovative procurement practices.

The public company Ihobe took part to present the Basque Country Green Procurement and Contracting Programme 2030, which aims to reduce by 26% carbon emissions around the purchase and use of green products, works and services.

Other goals include: 100% of the electricity supply contracted by member entities coming from renewable sources; all packaging included in the tenders of the member public entities being recyclable or reusable; and 95% of the construction waste managed by member entities being recovered.

The Basque Country Green Procurement and Contracting Programme 2030 takes on new challenges in order to ensure Basque economic and environmental policy coherence in the three priority areas – circular economy, climate change, and natural environment and biodiversity–, consolidating the implementation of public green procurement and contracting and, as the main new feature, mobilising the business sector so that it also offers sustainable solutions, combining greater environmental performance and competitiveness.

Ihobe also highlighted the directive on the incorporation of environmental clauses, a pioneering measure approved in March 2023 by which all Basque Government Departments and their public sectors have to include minimum environmental clauses in their tenders.

Two decades of experience

The conference also reviewed the progress made and the results achieved in the Basque Country in recent years.

More than two decades ago, countries around the world recognised that one of the main reasons for environmental degradation and social injustice was unsustainable production and consumption patterns. Since then, the Basque Country has been one of the European regions that is at the forefront of the transition towards sustainable models of economic and social development, with the commitment to solid and stable integration of environmental criteria in procurement and contracting, at all levels of strategic planning.

Due to its scope, specialised technical support and mobilisation of the actors involved, the Basque green procurement and contracting strategy is at the helm of the initiatives of the most advanced European national and regional governments in this field.