Impres have released a new study exploring how procurement requirements for carbon reduction can be implemented in infrastructure projects and how this connects to national and organizational policy contexts in different countries.

Procurement Requirements for Carbon Reduction in Infrastructure Projects investigated the institutional and organisational contexts, policies, procurement requirements and implementation projects being used to drive greenhouse gas reduction in large infrastructure projects across a series of international case studies.

Overall, the study found that the applicability of procurement requirements for carbon reduction is dependent on how well these requirements are aligned with culture, policies and capabilities in the local context. Other key conclusions from the study include:

• An ongoing process to develop and implement policies for carbon reduction in infrastructure projects, with raised ambitions over time, was evident across all case studies
• Carbon reduction measures were applied in all case studies
• Goals or carbon reduction are still new to many working in the infrastructure sector, with clients and industry partners needing time to adjust and develop new competencies
• Procurement requirements were considered necessary in driving carbon reductions in all countries where case studies were conducted, but the preferred style of these requirements vary.
• Collaborative contracting models offer a flexible option to encourage innovation and integrate knowledge of different participants
• Clients in mega-projects perceive an obligation to conform to national policy goals and may also have ambitions to be industry-level change agents.

Impres suggested a series of recommendations categorised across three levels: the policy level, the project level, and innovation and learning. Among these recommendations is a call for the establishment of high-level goals and policies for carbon reduction in order to sanction ambitious initiatives that contribute to setting new industry standards.

This report can be useful for client side decision-makers who are in charge of developing policies, procurement strategies and procurement requirements to reduce carbon emissions in the construction sector.

More information here