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Johanna Alkan Olsson outdoors. Photo.

Johanna Alkan Olsson

Social environmental scientist

Johanna Alkan Olsson outdoors. Photo.

Sustainable public procurement in large infrastructure projects—policy implementation for carbon emission reductions

Author

  • Sofia Lingegård
  • Johanna Alkan Olsson
  • Anna Kadefors
  • Stefan Uppenberg

Summary, in English

The infrastructure construction sector is a significant source of carbon emissions, and more stringent procurement requirements are central to meeting reduction targets in this demand-led and project-based industry. This paper aims to analyze the implementation of international policies for reducing carbon emissions in infrastructure construction, focusing on the interaction between policy ambitions and procurement practices. Based on case studies of large projects and their contexts in five countries worldwide: Australia, the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK, and the US, a cross-country comparison is performed of how policies and practices for carbon reduction develop across multiple implementation levels. Three levels are included in the analysis: policy, industry, and project level. We identify the projects as either drivers of policy goals, frontrunners in industry-level development processes, or translators of national policy. These roles, and the associated pathways for carbon emission reduction, are context-specific and depend on the policy ambitions at the national or regional level, the maturity of the supplier market, and, often, on the strategies of individual champions at the project level. Long-term learning processes, both within and between the various levels, are essential for advancing carbon reduction.

Department/s

  • Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC)

Publishing year

2021-10-01

Language

English

Publication/Series

Sustainability (Switzerland)

Volume

13

Issue

20

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

MDPI AG

Topic

  • Construction Management
  • Environmental Sciences

Keywords

  • Carbon emissions
  • Case studies
  • CO reduction
  • Cross-country comparison
  • Green public procurement
  • Infrastructure
  • Policy implementation
  • Sustainable public procurement

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 2071-1050