Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - BuyZET (BuyZET – Procurement of innovative solutions for zero emission urban delivery of goods and services)

Teaser

The overall objective of the project was to promote the achievement of zero emission urban delivery of goods and services, through the strategic and innovative use of public procurement approaches. The innovative procurement plans to be developed in each city were aimed at...

Summary

The overall objective of the project was to promote the achievement of zero emission urban delivery of goods and services, through the strategic and innovative use of public procurement approaches.
The innovative procurement plans to be developed in each city were aimed at improving quality of life in European cities by:
- Minimising the number, distance and disruptiveness of motorised vehicle trips within the city,
- Maximising the proportion of those trips made by zero emission vehicles

To achieve these overall aims the specific objectives of the project were to:
- Identify the areas of procurement spend with the biggest influence on the movement of goods and services within the cities in the consortium
- Develop plans for innovative zero emission procurement activities for these high priority areas in co-operation with key market actors and other stakeholders
- Create partnerships with other relevant buying organisations at the regional, national and European levels to maximise efficiency and impact
- Establish cross-border networking and experience exchange between consortium partners in the planning of procurement, other European cities, and further stakeholders
- Develop a series of recommendations for both public authorities and national/European policy makers in support of zero emission delivery of goods and services

The prime outcome of the project is the development of a series of innovative procurement approaches from the core cities, aimed at promoting the transition to zero emission delivery of goods and services in the urban environment. The models created are in principle replicable across the EU. Implementation has been carefully documented by each city, and overall recommendations and guidelines published in the form of the BuyZET Handbook.

Work performed

The first phase of the project saw the development of a procurement transportation CO2 footprinting methodology, and it\'s successful application in the three core cities of Copenhagen, Oslo and Rotterdam. Based on this, each city went through a prioritisation exercise to identify two procurement areas where they would focus their work within the project. The final phase of the project focused on the development of innovative procurement plans for the priority sectors identified - namely: maintenance and repair (craftsmen) contracts, construction materials consolidation, facility waste collection and consolidation of goods deliveries.

To this end, each city carried out a series of in depth market consultation activities, together with wider research, to identify potential pathways to zero emission delivery of contracts in each procurement area. A group of observer cities engaged closely with the project to also explore whether the approaches developed could be replicated within their context. A website, visual identity, newsletter and social media presence have also been developed and maintained throughout the project. The project has been presented at a large number of European events appropriate for reaching the target group, including a final results workshop in Brussels.

The principle outcomes of the project were as follows:
• A set of innovative procurement approaches, covering a range of product, works and service procurement categories, developed by each of the core cities for their focal areas. These are clearly documented, providing detailed descriptions of the precise approach followed to allow for replication within other cities
• The BuyZET Handbook, providing recommendations on how to use procurement to promote zero emission delivery of goods and services, based on the approaches developed by the core cities, as well as providing more general advice
• A methodology for mapping the CO2 and transportation footprint of a local government’s procurement activities, to allow informed choices as to where to prioritise procurement efforts.
• A series of publications from the Observer Cities Group, on how the approaches investigated may be replicated in their context
• Substantial outreach and dissemination activities aimed at making sure the target group of the project is informed about the outcomes and publications available.

Final results

The procurement approaches developed within the core cities present a new approach to carrying out procurement of standard goods and services, designed to foster the transition to zero emission delivery. The plans have been developed with replication in mind, meaning they should be replicable in as many other EU cities and towns as possible - helping to significantly reduce emissions of CO2, local pollutants such as NOx and particulates,and congestion, thereby helping to improve the quality of life of ciziens, boost competitiveness, and help achieve international climate change targets.

The BuyZET project has also delivered and tested an innovative methodology for calculating the transportation CO2 footprint of a city administration\'s procurement actions, which has been documented and made available for other cities to use. Further work will be carried out to refine, present and disseminate this tool.

Website & more info

More info: http://www.buyzet.eu.