The Forum Compraverde Buygreen on 15th May opens the debate on a decisive but still too neglected issue: the role of health in public procurement criteria. To date, although the concept of sustainability is at the heart of public policy, the impact on health – both human and environmental – often remains a marginal aspect in procurement selection processes.
The One Health approach, adopted by the World Health Organisation, emphasises how human, animal and environmental health are closely interlinked. Yet in public procurement – from school catering contracts to urban green management and infrastructure design – the direct and indirect impact on people’s health is rarely integrated into the award criteria. A vacuum which, in a time of ecological and social transition, is no longer sustainable.
This meeting, which will involve experts, public administrators and practitioners, is intended to issue a warning: including health among the fundamental criteria in the evaluation of public procurement is no longer an option, but a necessity. Every purchase made by the public administration is not just a matter of economic efficiency, but a decision that directly affects the quality of life of citizens.
Public policies can no longer ignore the side effects of their choices, which go far beyond the economic aspect. It is time to act with an integrated and systemic approach that considers health as part of an overall sustainability plan. In this sense, the Forum represents a crucial opportunity to rethink public purchasing as a tool to ensure collective wellbeing.
The question the forum poses is clear: can we really afford to continue to exclude health from the decision-making parameters in public purchasing policies? The answer seems obvious.
Ignoring health in public procurement: can we still afford it?
15th May 2025 | 12:00 – 13:00 | Brundtland Hall – Compraverde Buygreen Forum, Rome
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