Environmental and sustainability aspects in public procurements: perceptions of the Brazilian public sector

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5380/dma.v62i0.85495

Keywords:

sustainable public procurement, green public procurement, sustainable consumption and production patterns, environmental labeling

Abstract

In general, government procurement accounts for between 10% and 16% of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP), making it an important part of the economy. Therefore, government procurement policies should be discussed in terms of sustainable consumption and production patterns. However, imprecision and lack of clarity regarding environmental and sustainability aspects are often seen as obstacles to their advancement. In this study, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is used to evaluate the perceptions of public servants working in Brazilian government bidding and contracting departments on issues related to the inclusion of environmental and sustainability aspects in public procurement procedures. Five key factors were identified – “Perspective,” “Legal and Institutional Support,” “Market Relations,” “Acquisition Costs,” and “Public Servant Participation” – of which the latter factor emerged as the most relevant according to hierarchical evaluation. In this way, the participation of public servants in this debate, associated with professional training and improvement courses, is a fundamental condition for the success of the policies proposed.

Author Biographies

Jefferson Alves Lopes, University of Brasilia (UnB), Brasília, DF

O profissional é Mestre em Desenvolvimento Sustentável pela Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Engenheiro Ambiental e Engenheiro de Segurança do Trabalho, com Especialização em Gestão Pública e Especialização em Auditoria e Perícia Ambiental. Possui experiência em áreas diversas na administração pública, bem como em consultorias ambientais no setor empresarial e palestras junto a Instituições de Ensino Superior.  

Armando Azevedo Caldeira-Pires, University of Brasilia (UnB), Brasília, DF

O profissional é Engenheiro Químico e Mestre em Engenharia Química pela UFRJ, e Doutor em Engenharia Mecânica pela Universidade Técnica de Lisboa em 1995. Atualmente é Professor Adjunto da Universidade de Brasília (UnB), Pesquisador Visitante do Instituto Superior Tecnico e membro do Comitê Gestor do Programa Brasileiro de Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida - Conmetro/MDIC.

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Published

2023-11-24

How to Cite

Lopes, J. A., & Caldeira-Pires, A. A. (2023). Environmental and sustainability aspects in public procurements: perceptions of the Brazilian public sector. Desenvolvimento E Meio Ambiente, 62. https://doi.org/10.5380/dma.v62i0.85495

Issue

Vol. 62 (2023): Psychoanalysis, philosophy and political ecology - Water, Sanitation and SDGs in Brazil: challenges, contradictions and governance

Section

Articles

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