Environmental consideration in procurement of construction contracts: current practice, problems and opportunities in green procurement in the Swedish construction industry

Published Date
September 2009, Vol.17(13):1214–1222, doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2009.04.001

Author 

Annika Varnäs ^,

Berit Balfors

Charlotta Faith-Ell

Royal Institute of Technology, Land and Water Resources Engineering, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden

Received 19 October 2007. Revised 31 March 2009. Accepted 1 April 2009. Available online 14 May 2009.

Abstract

Research and initiatives concerning green procurement have to a great extent focused on products. This article, however, explores the current practice, problems and opportunities of green procurement of construction contracts. In particular, the application of environmental criteria for contract awarding is targeted. The findings of the study indicate that both public and private clients in the Swedish construction industry take environmental issues into consideration in their procurements. The environmental preferences are often formulated as environmental requirements. However, environmental criteria in tender evaluation are less common and seldom affect the award decisions. The environmental evaluation criteria that do occur often relate to the contractors' capabilities of managing the environmental work in the project.

Keywords

Green procurement

Green purchasing

Construction contract

Environmental management

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