Sustainability and Public Procurement

Th e purpose of this chapter is to provide an understanding that buying practices are being developed beyond pure economic effi ciency. Th us, the notion of sustainable public procurement will fi rst be sketched, linking it to the MDGs and SDGs (section II). Th e important role played by a number of international organisations, including MDBs, in making public procurement (more) sustainable will then be analysed (in section III). Among the many and diff erent issues that sustainable public procurement (SPP) raises, the question how its benefi ts, and consequently aid eff ectiveness, are to be measured, will be briefl y addressed (in section IV). Short conclusions will close the chapter also providing a short account of the role SPP can play in a development context (section V).