Overview of the legal framework of the Green Deal

The naBe Action Plan for Sustainable Public Procurement in Austria

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The naBe Action Plan for Sustainable Public Procurement in Austria

From organic food and green electricity to emission-free vehicles: the ‘Sustainable Procurement’ action plan regulates how and to what quality the public sector makes purchases.
Sustainable procurement is the procurement of environmentally friendly products and services that follow the principles of economy, efficiency and expediency and whose production or provision complies with social standards. 
It also covers other guiding principles of sustainability, such as regionality and innovation, and the strengthening of regional economic cycles, whereby EU legal requirements must be complied with.
In the best case scenario, sustainable public procurement is linked to improvements in all three dimensions (environmental, social and economic). 
If this is not possible, the minimum requirement is that there are positive effects in one dimension and no deterioration in the other two.

Objectives:

Anchoring sustainable procurement in all federal institutions Securing Austria's pioneering role




On 23 June 2021, the Federal Government adopted the updated naBe action plan including naBe core criteria. Following an evaluation and revision phase, 16 product groups were defined:
Structural Engeneering
The naBe criteria for building construction refer to the planning, utilisation and dismantling of buildings, but also to the utilisation of construction waste as a recycled building material.
Civil Engeneering
The naBe contains requirements for construction projects in the areas of transport and infrastructure, such as the mandatory development of a material concept or at least 10% recycled asphalt for bituminous bound surface, binder and base courses.
Electrical Devices
Electrical appliances consume a lot of electricity and resources during use. Savings are possible, particularly in the area of energy efficiency. The naBe criteria contain requirements for the following product groups: Ovens, hobs, extractor bonnets, televisions, dishwashers, coffee machines, refrigerators and freezers, tumble dryers and washing machines, such as minimum standards for energy efficiency classes.
Lamps
Light sources consume a lot of electricity during use. The naBe criteria therefore focus on energy efficiency, durability and low emissions. A distinction is made between lamps (or light sources) for indoor and outdoor lighting (street lighting). Key criteria include, for example, a minimum requirement for lamp life.
Electricity
The naBe criteria for electricity stipulate that from 2022, federal ministries may only procure green electricity in accordance with the criteria of the Austrian Ecolabel, the so-called UZ 46 electricity. For other contracting authorities, there is a target corridor for increasing the proportion of green electricity. Electricity that does not fulfil the criteria of the Austrian Ecolabel must come from 100% renewable energy sources.
IT Equipment
The naBe criteria for IT devices aim to procure energy-efficient, quiet and repair-friendly or recyclable devices. The naBe criteria contain requirements for the following product groups: Monitors, desktop computers, notebooks, imaging devices (printers etc.), smartphones and remanufactured toner modules, such as the recyclability of plastic housings.
Horticultural Products and Services
The naBe criteria for horticultural products and services include requirements for soil conditioners, irrigation systems, gardening tools, loss lubricants and gardening services as well as the garden management of public areas, such as the reduction of the use of chemical pesticides.
Events
For events with up to 100 participants, the requirements listed in the naBe action plan must be taken into account, such as the use of reusable crockery, large containers or reusable bottles. For events with more than 100 participants, the minimum requirements of Ecolabel 62 must be observed.
Vehicles
The naBe criteria for vehicles aim to ensure that the public sector primarily procures purely electric vehicles and only uses vehicles with combustion engines where this is not possible. However, the latter should - as the specifications also ensure - emit particularly low levels of CO2. There are also provisions on the proportion of clean vehicles used for bus and waste collection services, as well as provisions on the procurement of tyres.
Office
The naBe criteria for office supplies refer to particularly durable and high-quality products that are made from renewable or recycled materials and do not contain any solvents that are harmful to health.
Paper
The naBe includes criteria for paper made from primary fibres as well as paper made from recycled fibres. The use of wood from non-sustainable sources, water and energy consumption as well as the waste gases and waste water produced have a significant environmental impact in the production of copy paper and graphic paper.
Toilet Tissues
A minimum proportion of recycled fibres ensures that water and energy consumption is reduced in the production of all types of tissue paper (toilet paper, all-purpose tissues, kitchen roll, paper towels, paper napkins, etc.). In addition, compliance with the naBe criteria reduces resource consumption and wastewater pollution.
Textiles
To ensure that textiles are low in harmful substances, the naBe criteria take into account the requirements of Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX. An environmental management system is also required for providers of rental textile services.
Furniture
The naBe action plan distinguishes between office chairs and furniture for the contract sector. For the latter, the naBe action plan recommends the use of furniture made of wood from sustainable forestry.
Food
High-quality food from the region, a gradual increase in food from organic production, ensuring high animal welfare standards and the avoidance of food waste are among the requirements of the naBe criteria.
Cleaning
The environmental compatibility of the ingredients and the packaging of products such as all-purpose cleaners plays a key role in cleaning agents. The naBe criteria for cleaning agents contain corresponding requirements. For the procurement of cleaning services, it is also required, among other things, that staff are employed who are trained in environmentally friendly cleaning.



 	

    

        
            

                

                    

                        
                        
                    

                

            

        
    








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