Environment sustainability

Green Procurement Framework Adopted by Public Sector Agencies to Cut Emissions

Public Sector Accelerates Climate Action with Mandatory Green Procurement Framework

Dublin, Ireland – 22 November 2025Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today confirmed that every central-government tender issued since 1 October carries legally binding green criteria, the cornerstone of the National Green Procurement Framework unveiled in April. The move places Ireland among 35 OECD countries that have refreshed or introduced similar frameworks within the past three years, directing billions of euro in public spending toward low-carbon goods, works and services.

The framework obliges purchasers to apply life-cycle carbon limits in four high-impact categories—cement, steel, electricity and road transport—identified as collectively responsible for 62 % of the State’s embodied public-sector emissions. Early modelling by the EPA shows the rules could eliminate 280 000 t CO₂e from government contracts awarded in 2026 alone, the equivalent of taking 61 000 petrol cars off the road for a year. Comparable schemes already operate in the Netherlands, where the CO₂ Performance Ladder gives certified bidders a competitive price advantage; organisations holding Level 4 or 5 certification have cut emissions 1.8 times faster than non-certified rivals since 2021.

“Taxpayers expect us to spend public money in a way that fights climate change, not fuels it,” said EPA Director-General Laura Burke. “By locking carbon performance into every tender, we are sending a market signal that clean business models win contracts—full stop.”

Market analysis released last month by Boston Consulting Group estimates that 40 % of public-procurement greenhouse-gas emissions can be abated for less than US $15 per tonne of CO₂, adding less than 6 % to upfront contract value on the path to net-zero by 2050. The same study projects that aggressive green procurement could unlock US $4 trillion in green-tech investment and create three million additional jobs across the EU and North America over the next decade.

Ireland’s strategy builds on the EPA’s 2024-2027 action plan “Buying Greener”, which sets mandatory minimum environmental criteria for 21 product groups and requires departments to report verified emission savings in annual results statements laid before the Oireachtas. Training modules developed with the Canada School of Public Service have already been completed by 1 400 Irish procurement officers, while an online supplier help-desk fields an average of 120 technical queries a week on low-carbon alternatives.

Internationally, the timing aligns with a wave of policy tightening. The United Kingdom now bars companies from major government contracts unless they publish a credible carbon-reduction plan committing to net-zero by 2050, while Canada updated its federal Greening Government Strategy in March to require 100 % zero-emission light-duty vehicle purchases by 2030. Japan has embedded its national Green Purchasing Law in the latest Global Warming Counter-measures Plan, and Korea will mandate green certification for all above-threshold tenders from 2026.

Domestic suppliers are responding quickly. Kilsaran Concrete, one of the country’s largest ready-mix providers, announced last week it will supply low-embodied-carbon concrete—certified under the new 144 kg CO₂/m³ benchmark—for all State road projects in 2026, a move the company says will trim its product carbon footprint 38 % compared with 2023 levels. Small and medium enterprises are also gaining support through a €12 million Green Procurement Innovation Fund that co-finances life-cycle assessments and environmental product declarations.

About the Environmental Protection Agency

The EPA is Ireland’s statutory body for environmental protection, monitoring and enforcement. Its Office of Environmental Sustainability oversees implementation of the National Green Procurement Framework and publishes annual compliance reports.