Method based on life cycle assessment and TOPSIS to integrate environmental award criteria into green public procurement

Abstract

Green public procurement (GPP) aims to integrate environmental criteria into public tender as instrument to develop and encourage production and consumption of sustainable products and services. Inclusion of award criteria in GPP is a key factor of its success. To this aim, a new method for assessing environmental award criteria in GPP processes is introduced in this study, providing easy and effective communication of the environmental benefits of the products and services purchased. The method is intended for its use by public authorities and companies. The main novelty of the method lies in its ability to evaluate the achievement of each award criterion during the GPP process using a simplified life cycle assessment methodology and a further simplification of the environmental indicators in one score using TOPSIS. This method is applied to public procurement of urban furniture as a case study.