[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern"][vc_column][vc_separator type="transparent" thickness="30px"][vc_column_text]Procurement is an integral part of governance and the financial management system in a country. Public procurement wields enormous purchasing power, and in 2013 it accounted for 20-30 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) of India (UNODC 2013). Leveraging the purchasing power by promoting public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities, plays a key role in achieving Sustainable Consumption and Production (SDG 12) and in addressing the three pillars of Sustainable Development.
In April 2018, the Department of Expenditure (DoE) constituted a Task Force on Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) comprising of members from Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Ministry of Railways (MoR), Government e-Marketplace (GeM), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is supporting the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to conduct studies for product prioritization and market assessment.
Last year, over 44,000 air conditioners worth Rs 1.7 billion were sold through GeM, India’s online platform for public procurement.Green room air conditioner integration within the public procurement system would be a catalyst for market transformation towards sustainable cooling.MAITREE program in partnership with UNEP is supporting the Sustainable Public Procurement initiative of the Government of India with a focus on room air conditioners.
Key activities:
- Reviewed status of existing policies and legal framework for procurement activities.
- Collaborated with Confederation of Indian Industry to prioritize products to be in scope of sustainable public procurement.
- Organized a training program with key decision makers and stakeholders to deliberate on the proposed lifecycle-based approach for public procurement.
- Developed sustainable public procurement policy framework and technical specifications for green air room conditioners.
- Organized an Industry consultation and assessed market readiness to supply air conditioners with specifications proposed under SPP.
- Supported institutional strengthening of GeM (Government e-Marketplace) by developing of TOR (Terms of Reference) and scope for appointment of a sustainability consultant at GeM.
- Integrated the technical specifications for green room air conditioners on GeM, India’s online public procurement platform
On World Environment Day, June 5, 2021
Green Room Air Conditioners were launched on GeM, as a key outcome of the USAID MAITREE and UNEP collaboration.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator type="transparent" thickness="30px"][vc_column_text el_class="resource"]
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