Environmental Protection Agency: Govt depts missing chances for 'green' purchasing

EPA director general Laura Burke said: "The purchasing power of Ireland’s government sector has significant potential to reduce emissions and protect our environment while saving money over the full lifecycle of goods and services. File photo: Julien Behal

Contracts tendered by Government departments for works are falling woefully short of including so-called "green criteria", with less than a fifth doing so, according to a report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The EPA said it was a "missed opportunity" that a mere 17%, or €53m, of contracts over €25,000, worth some €320m in total, were deemed to include green criteria. Green Public Procurement (GPP) is a process where public authorities seek to source goods, services or works with reduced environmental impact.