A Review and Critical Evaluation of Selected Greener Public Purchasing Programmes and Policies

There is heightened public awareness of the importance of environmentally and socially responsible procurement. This is reflected in international efforts (such as the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the UN Global Compact) that encourage the private sector to improve their corporate labour and environmental practices (Gereffi et al., 2001). Similar efforts are being undertaken by public authorities since it is recognised that public purchasing, by virtue of its considerable size and diversity, can have considerable influence in the marketplace, and as such is one avenue to promote sustainable consumption and production....