TORONTO — Governments all over the world are utilizing public procurement—the system used to make buying choices—as a software to sort out local weather change and help jobs.
From Canada to the U.S. to the EU, governments are utilizing “Purchase Clear” insurance policies to incentivize the usage of lower-carbon development supplies in infrastructure initiatives like roads, bridges, and buildings.
With the federal authorities indicating it desires to undertake the coverage right here in Canada, Clear Vitality Canada has launched a brand new report that dives into how main U.S. jurisdictions have developed and applied Purchase Clear—and what Canada can study from them.
With authorities procurement chargeable for 15% of worldwide carbon emissions, Purchase Clear has important emissions discount potential. Right here in Canada, governments purchase about 30% of all metal, cement, and concrete bought yearly.
Introducing a Purchase Clear technique would even be excellent news for Canada’s manufacturing sector. Because the world strikes towards web zero, demand for lower-carbon merchandise is rising. Canadian industries sometimes produce cleaner items than worldwide rivals, largely because of an 83% emissions-free electrical energy grid. Achieved correctly, Purchase Clear helps sooner local weather motion, whereas defending industrial competitiveness and good jobs.
What’s extra, Purchase Clear has the added benefit of being a possible pathway to exempt Canadian merchandise from “Purchase American” guidelines by demonstrating that Canada is aligned with the U.S. on local weather and procurement.
The report lists six classes that Canada can study from the U.S. that would streamline its Purchase Clear strategy.
The benefits are clear. Now Canada should make its Purchase Clear ambitions a actuality.
KEY FACTS
- Authorities procurement is chargeable for about 15% of worldwide greenhouse fuel emissions.
- Authorities procurement accounts for 12% to 30% of nationwide GDP in most international locations.
- Within the U.S., 46% of cement and 18% of metal consumption is bought for public initiatives, emitting 57 Mt of CO2e in 2018.
- In Canada, governments spend about $200 billion on items and merchandise yearly. That features about $4-billion price of cement, concrete and metal, or about 30% of the marketplace for these supplies.
- The federal government of Canada included Purchase Clear as a part of its 2021 election marketing campaign and likewise included it within the December 2021 mandate letters for 3 federal ministers.
- Current polling discovered that three-quarters of Canadians help low-carbon buying necessities for public infrastructure initiatives, even when this results in barely larger prices.
RESOURCES
Report | Classes from the US on “Shopping for Clear” and suggestions for Canada
