ICLEI Europe has published a new report, identifying a number of lessons for how public buyers can increase their social responsibility procuring their IT-related products. The report aligns the criteria with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, developing certification systems that strike a balance between trustworthiness and ease of certification, encouraging reducing concerning chemicals through more sustainable design and production, and respecting international labour laws and regulations to ensure that workers’ rights are taken into account.

The report was written within the context of the International Working Group on Ethics in Public Procurement of IT and brings together leading European public buyers of IT as a means for exchange, stock taking, discussion and identification of actions towards a next-generation ethical procurement of IT. In 2022 its work was centred around four workshops, respectively on Human Rights Due Diligence, Ethical Batteries for Electric Vehicles, Exposure of Workers to Chemicals of Concern, and Working Conditions at the Re-use and Disposal Stage. In addition to the four workshops, a webinar was also organised on Using Certifications in the Procurement of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

The Working Group was set up in 2021 and continued in 2022. Its key objectives are to:

• Regularly bring together frontrunners (policy-makers and procurers),
• Gather the latest insights on best practices and challenges from public authorities as preparatory research that could enable learning, development of new criteria or engagement with market actors,
• Identify concrete actions for ethical procurement practices,
• Enable exchange between procurement and policy perspective,
• Connect key outputs to other relevant European and international work.

The report also includes recommendations for the Group's future work. It notes, for example, that public procurers should be provided with more concrete and harmonised tools to use in their daily practice, and the creation of a common space for exchange and networking among procurers and ICT experts that includes direct tender advice.

To learn more, read the full report here.