OTTAWA—A new study released by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) urges Canadian procurers to develop new sustainability strategies as they prepare to negotiate their way through international trade agreements.
The report, titled Canada’s International Trade Obligations: Barrier or Opportunity for Sustainable Public Procurement?, focuses on the extent to which Canada’s international trade commitments impact international public procurement opportunities.
The report looks specifically at the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Government Procurement and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, said a recent release.
The report includes recommendations to government stakeholders, including the development of a procurement package that would include:
-a social procurement policy to accompany the existing Green Procurement Policy
-a one-stop shop for questions
-a learning and sharing platform
-further professionalization of procurers.
“Sustainable procurement is an important strategic tool that governments can use to drive towards a low-carbon economy,” said report author Liesbeth Casier, a policy analyst with the IISD’s Economic Law and Policy Program, in the statement.
“But procurers often cite the complexities of international trade agreements and other legal frameworks as a barrier to implementing sustainable procurement.”
The report, based on desk research and interviews with Canadian procurers, policy-makers and international experts, includes examples of how sustainable public procurement already happens in Canada and other jurisdictions.
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