­Energy efficiency in awarding public contracts

The public sector is a major purchaser of goods, works and services in Finland, with the value of public procurement contracts amounting to approximately EUR 20–30 billion a year. As a major player, the public sector has the opportunity to influence the supply by directing the demand.

Public contracts have a significant impact on the life-cycle energy consumption of products and services. The Act on Public Contracts encourages contracting authorities to take environmental considerations into account. Energy efficiency is a highly suitable procurement criteria alongside price and other grounds.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (MEAE) has issued guidelines on energy efficiency in public procurement. The Government decision-in-principle on the promotion of sustainable solutions in public procurement, adopted 8 April 2009, also sets requirements on the energy efficiency of public contracts.

The guidelines issued by the MEAE also concern energy labelling. The aim is that the energy efficiency class of a product is taken into account as one of the procurement criteria.  

Further information: timo.ritonummi(at)tem.fi