Background report for the revision of EU Green Public Procurement criteria for Buildings

Public administrations have a duty to promote sustainability policies and also to lead by example, serving as a reference point for the private sector and society in general, by committing to its fulfilment. In this sense, EU GPP criteria are a very valuable voluntary instrument, which allows the different institutions to use public money in an environmentally friendly way. In 2020, the Commission initiated the revision of the EU GPP criteria for the building sector in an ambitious context, with the European Green Deal calling for a transition to a circular and sustainable economy, as well as a climate-neutral Europe. The building sector, due to its high environmental impact, is key to achieve a circular and sustainable economy, as well as the decarbonisation of Europe and should not miss the opportunity to design buildings with less impact over their life cycle. The aim of this revision is to update the criteria for office buildings and to expand the scope to also include educational buildings and social housing. The process has kept into consideration the coherence with existing and upcoming legislation and policy tools, bearing in mind the alignment with Level(s). Market and technical analyses of current trends show significant room for improvement, especially in terms of reskilling the sector, increasing awareness and reducing environmental impact by promoting passive features, renewable sources, circularity and occupants’ conservative behaviours. In light of the already observable effects of climate change on the environment and how it affects the buildings in which we live and work, designing for adaptation to extreme weather events becomes a must. The set of EU GPP criteria proposals aim to consider the European context which is highly diverse in terms of building practices, encompassing climate, culture, social and economic factors. It strives to be ambitious, versatile, easy to implement and simple in its application. Moreover, the synergies between the different criteria make this voluntary instrument an even more powerful weapon to make the building sector more sustainable, of course taking into account the necessary trade-offs.