Swedish National Audit Office's report on environmental sustainability in government procurement

The plan sees public procurement as an important tool in climate transition and demands that the state's and municipalities' purchasing prioritizes efficient energy use and sustainable solutions. It also wants procurement to be used strategically to guarantee conditions, among other things through requirements for collective bargaining. That legislation is clarified so that sustainability requirements are actually followed up is a direct prerequisite for these demands to mean anything.

• procurement as climate tooldecisive»Offentlig upphandling är ett viktigt verktyg för omställningen.« (party programme ↗)“Public procurement is an important tool for the transition.”
• sustainable purchasing requirements»tjänster ska premiera effektiv energianvändning och hållbara lösningar« (party programme ↗)“services should prioritize efficient energy use and sustainable solutions”
• strategic procurement»Den måste användas strategiskt av upphandlare på olika nivåer« (party programme ↗)“It must be used strategically by purchasers at different levels”
• requirements in procurement»Vänsterpartiet ställer krav på kollektivavtal vid offentliga upphandlingar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party requires collective bargaining agreements for public procurement.”

The plan requires that public procurers be role models and that environmental consideration be built into production from the start, which speaks in favour of follow-up on sustainability requirements actually taking place. The ambition to become the world's first fossil-free welfare state presupposes that set requirements are also monitored. Clarifying public procurement law on this point is therefore supported in substance.

• public procurement as role modeldecisive»offentliga arbetsgivare och upphandlare ska vara föredömen i att verka för en sund konkurrens.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“public employers and procurers shall be role models in promoting fair competition.”
• environmental requirements built in early»Hänsynen till miljöns krav ska byggas in i produktionsprocesserna redan från början.« (party programme ↗)“Consideration for the environment's requirements shall be built into production processes from the start.”
• fossil-free welfare state»Sverige ska bli världens första fossilfria välfärdsnation.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall become the world's first fossil-free welfare state.”

The party programme demands that environmental and quality aspects are weighted significantly more heavily in public procurement and that environmental requirements are set and quality is constantly monitored. The counter-proposal's demand that procurement legislation be clarified so that monitoring of sustainability requirements is actually carried out is a direct expression of that commitment. Requirements without monitoring do not provide the steering that the plan presupposes.

• heavier environmental requirements in procurementdecisive»miljö- och kvalitetsaspekterna viktas betydligt« (party programme ↗)“environmental and quality aspects are weighted significantly”
• constant monitoring of requirements»arbetsmiljö. Kvaliteten ska ständigt följas upp med« (party programme ↗)“working environment. Quality shall be constantly monitored with”
• environmental requirements in procurement»krav ställas vad gäller miljö, sociala villkor samt« (party programme ↗)“requirements are set regarding environment, social conditions and”
• strict requirements in public procurement»annat ställas i den offentliga upphandlingen.« (party programme ↗)“other things in public procurement.”

The plan's principle is that it should always be profitable to be environmentally responsible and that tougher environmental requirements should be set in agreements, and that effective measures come before symbolic politics. Sustainability requirements that are not followed up become precisely symbolic politics, which supports the counter-proposal's demand for clearer follow-up obligations. The plan does not address procurement legislation, and it simultaneously wants to avoid complicated regulations.

• the polluter paysdecisive»Det ska alltid vara lönsamt att vara miljövårdande och olönsamt att agera miljöförstörande.« (party programme ↗)“It should always be profitable to be environmentally responsible and unprofitable to act in a way that damages the environment.”
• effective measures over symbolic politics»Ett ledarskap som prioriterar effektiva åtgärder framför symbolpolitik eller passivitet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A leadership that prioritizes effective measures over symbolic politics or passivity.”
• tougher environmental requirements in agreements»Ställ hårdare krav på arbetsvillkor, miljö och klimat i handelsavtal.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Set tougher requirements on working conditions, environment and climate in trade agreements.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan affirms that clear environmental and climate requirements can be set in public procurement and that long-term sustainable products can be preferred, while distancing itself from measures that dull the conscience instead of taking effect. Sustainability requirements never followed up are precisely such an ineffective measure, so a clarification on follow-up aligns with the plan. The plan says nothing about procurement legislation's design, and the demand for low costs and simple rules pulls partially in the opposite direction.

• environmental requirements in procurementdecisive»klimat- och hälsoskyddskrav kunna ställas och långsiktigt hållbara produkter kunna premieras.« (party programme ↗)“climate and health protection requirements be set and long-term sustainable products can be preferred.”
• strengthened supervision and follow-up»Tillsynen behöver förbättras och« (party programme ↗)“Oversight needs to be improved and”
• the polluter pays»Principen att förorenaren betalar ska upprätthållas.« (party programme ↗)“The principle that the polluter pays shall be maintained.”
• quality and equal treatment»hög kvalitet, säkrar likabehandling och stimulerar konkurrens.« (party programme ↗)“high quality, ensures equal treatment and stimulates competition.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan identifies environmentally friendly procurement and environmental management systems as strategic instruments to be used, and makes evaluation, cost monitoring and quality control central political tasks. Clarifying procurement legislation so that sustainability requirements are actually monitored is a direct application of both commitments. Stewardship requires that environmental costs are made visible.

• environmentally friendly procurementdecisive»miljöledningssystem och miljövänlig upphandling är exempel på strategiska instrument som ska användas.« (party programme ↗)“environmental management systems and environmentally friendly procurement are examples of strategic instruments that should be used.”
• monitoring and control»Utvärdering, kostnadsuppföljning och kvalitetskontroll är därför viktiga politiska« (party programme ↗)“Evaluation, cost monitoring and quality control are therefore important political”
• the polluter pays»Miljöpolitiken ska bygga på principen att förorenaren ska betala för de miljökostnader som« (party programme ↗)“Environmental policy shall be based on the principle that the polluter shall pay for the environmental costs”
• stewardship of natural resources»Med detta menas att människan är förvaltare av – och inte herre över – skapelsen.« (party programme ↗)“By this is meant that man is a steward of – and not master of – creation.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan's core commitment in procurement and regulation is to substantially reduce red tape and administrative costs, not to add new legal requirements. Stipulating by law that monitoring of sustainability requirements should be done adds new administration to authorities and suppliers. The plan does want environmental offenders to pay their way, but it prioritizes respect for taxpayers' money and simpler rules, which speaks against the counter-proposal's requirement.

• reduced red tapedecisive»Ta bort en tredjedel av företagens administrationskostnader och en tredjedel av regelkrånglet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Remove one-third of companies' administrative costs and one-third of red tape”
• bureaucracy hampers growth»höga skatter, krångliga tillståndsprocesser och byråkrati sätter käppar i hjulet för innovation och tillväxt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“high taxes, complicated permit processes and bureaucracy put obstacles in the way of innovation and growth.”
• respect for tax revenues»Offentligt slöseri i alla former ska bekämpas.« (party programme ↗)“Public waste in all forms shall be combated.”
• environmental responsibility without nagging»Där miljöbovar betalar för sig, men du kan unna dig en plastpåse när du veckohandlar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Where environmental offenders pay their way, but you can afford a plastic bag when you do your weekly shopping.”

The election manifesto explicitly points to shortcomings in public procurement and follow-up and demands clear results for every public investment. Environmental policy should furthermore be guided by environmental efficiency, which presupposes that set requirements are actually followed up. The counter-proposal's demand that follow-up of sustainability requirements shall be conducted thus aligns with the plan, even though the plan at the same time warns that procurement conditions exclude smaller actors.

• results for every initiativedecisive»Begära tydliga resultat för varje offentlig satsning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Demand clear results for every public investment”
• shortcomings in procurement and follow-up»Den offentliga sektorn har dels problem med upphandlingar, ekonomistyrning och uppföljning, dels med bristande ledarskap och felaktiga prioriteringar som sammantaget leder till kostnader i multimiljardklass.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The public sector has problems with procurement, financial management and follow-up, and also lacks leadership and incorrect priorities that together lead to costs in the multibillion class.”
• environmental efficiency per pound»Sträva efter miljöeffektivitet och hitta de åtgärder som ger mest miljö per krona« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strive for environmental efficiency and find the measures that provide the most environment per pound”
• procurement must not exclude small business»Onödigt stränga villkor i branschstandarder och i upphandlingar gör det ofta svårt för mindre aktörer att slå sig in på marknaden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Unnecessarily strict requirements in industry standards and in procurement often make it difficult for smaller actors to enter the market.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.