DeCarb-Pro
Decarbonising public procurement in North West Europe
DeCarb-Pro aims at reducing CO2 emissions from procurement by local authorities (LAs). Public procurement has a key impact on CO2 emissions in North West Europe (NWE), 15% or 230 million tons CO2 (2020) are emitted mostly in the responsibility of LAs. Without decarbonising procurement, NWE-wide LAs are likely to miss the EU reduction goals 2030 and their needed contribution to the ambitions of the EU Green Deal. The most decisive reductions can be realised with procurement related to infrastructure, construction and energy. Public procurement is dominated by prices. By using CO2 pricing in procurements, LAs demand from companies to compete for products and services with lowest emissions for the lowest price and lower the emissions. The strategy is rarely applied by NWE LAs, due to a lack of instruments and knowledge for standard procedures.
The partnership with LAs, energy agencies, city networks and market partners from all NWE countries will develop and apply a strategic approach for CO2 pricing and procurement for NWE-wide use for large, medium-sized, and small LAs. The developed instruments will be tested and validated in pilot procurement projects in 3 sectors: infrastructure, construction and energy. Pilot actions will lead to concrete emission reductions and will act as showcases for replication in other LAs. Training schemes will be developed and conducted for stakeholder’s capacity building. This will enable LAs to commit themselves and execute CO2 pricing in procurements and contribute to reducing their CO2 emissions. Transnational cooperation facilitates fast uptake in NWE countries: The partnership builds on frontrunning experience of Dutch and French PPs on local CO2 pricing, develop it for viable NWE-wide use, and thus, support the needed NWE-wide implementation. The city networks ensure uptake of results by NWE-wide mainstreaming instruments and standards, e.g. within the EU climate initiative Covenant of Mayors.
Climate Alliance is coordinating the work package for the development of CO2 pricing strategies and action plans as well as Europe-wide communication. Further project partners are Klimaatverbond (NL), South East Energy Agency (SEEA) (IE), Municipality of Amsterdam (NL), Stadt Essen (DE), City of Paris (FR), Arnhem-Nijmegen Green Metropolitan Region (NL), Foundation HIER Klimaatbureau (NL), Strasbourg Eurometropolis (FR), Climate Agency Wiesbaden (DE), Flux50 (BE) and Climate Agency Strasbourg (FR).
Project funding period: March 2023 – December 2026
The DeCarb-Pro project is funded by the Interreg NWE programme. The total budget is €6,500,000.00, of which €3,900,000.00 is ERDF funding.
Want to find out more? Contact Miguel Morcillo atm.morcillo@klimabuendnis.org
