Sustainable criteria in public construction procurement remain limited

Recent reports indicate that sustainable criteria in public construction procurement remain limited and unbalanced. According to the Observatorio de Construcción Sostenible en las Administraciones Públicas, an analysis of 300 tender documents across 100 entities found that only 14% incorporate a broad range of sustainability criteria, and just 2% of administrations achieve a level of integral sustainability.

The study, supported by PwC and AENOR, highlights a significant imbalance in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) dimensions: 63% of clauses are environmental, 25% are governance-related, and only 13% are social. The findings suggest a need for more balanced criteria, verifiable objectives, and better monitoring mechanisms regarding waste, materials, water, energy, and emissions.

In response, the Green Building Council España (GBCE) has developed a catalog of best practices to guide the construction sector in applying sustainability criteria to public procurement. This initiative aims to support decarbonization and the transition to a circular economy model, aligning with European Union regulations and Spanish Law 9/2022 on Architecture Quality, which promotes environmental, social, and economic sustainability in building processes.