On 20 March 2025, Latvia will host Sustainable Procurement Day for the first time – an event dedicated to the importance of public procurement and its strategic role in promoting sustainable development. The event is organised by the Latvian Sustainable Procurement Association in cooperation with the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments.
Industry experts and representatives of national and local government will share their experience and discuss practical solutions for sustainable procurement. Discussions will focus on how to combine environmental and social criteria in public procurement, how to encourage the adoption of circular economy principles, and how digitalisation can improve the transparency and efficiency of the procurement process.
The strategic importance of public procurement
In 2024, the contract value of public procurement in Latvia reached 9.1 billion euros, of which green public procurement accounted for 46.1%, or 4.2 billion euros, while socially responsible public procurement made up 0.6%, or 55 million euros. Innovation procurement reached 18 million euros. Data from the start of 2025 (1 January – 15 March) indicate a fall in the share of green public procurement to 14%, while socially responsible public procurement rose to 1.4%, pointing to possible changes in the approach to procurement.
Although green public procurement is mandatory in nine groups of goods and services under Cabinet of Ministers Regulation No. 353, a sustainable procurement approach offers wider scope by combining environmental, social and innovation aspects as well as circular economy principles. By promoting social responsibility, fair working conditions and the efficient use of resources, procurement can have a greater long-term impact while also strengthening economic resilience and local business.
Latvia's achievements in sustainability and the challenges ahead
In 2024, Latvia scored 70.6 points on the sustainable development index, ranking 21st in the world. Although the country is making progress on energy efficiency, challenges remain in resource efficiency and the circular economy.
Public procurement is a powerful instrument that can not only advance environmental protection but also strengthen social responsibility and innovation. For it to become genuinely sustainable procurement, it is essential to integrate both environmental and social criteria, creating demand for responsible and economically sustainable solutions. Only in this way can we achieve the transition to a greener, more inclusive and more competitive economy, says Inese Pelša, Chair of the Board of the Latvian Sustainable Procurement Association.
The aim of Sustainable Procurement Day is to build knowledge and share experience among public sector representatives and businesses in order to identify the most effective solutions for meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production.
International cooperation and the Procura+ network
This conference will give Latvian local governments and public sector procurers the opportunity to join an international network. The Latvian Sustainable Procurement Association is the focal point in Latvia for the European Procura+ network, which brings together more than 50 public sector organisations and promotes knowledge sharing, joint projects and policy development in sustainable procurement.
At the conference, Procura+ network manager Philipp Tepper will introduce the opportunities the network offers and the ways Latvian organisations can join it in order to learn from other European partners and develop sustainable and innovative procurement models.
Conference highlights and participants
Sustainable Procurement Day will bring together leading experts in the field, including ICLEI representative Philipp Tepper, Chair of the Board of the Latvian Sustainable Procurement Association Inese Pelša, Procurement Monitoring Bureau expert Līga Jaunozola, LIKTA president Professor Signe Bāliņa, Valsts nekustamie īpašumi representative Dmitrijs Kots, Riga Energy Agency project manager Ieva Kalniņa, Head of the Development and Projects Division of the Vidzeme Planning Region Laila Gercāne, Head of the Procurement Division of the Legal and Procurement Department at Rīga Stradiņš University Sabīna Bušmane, and Head of the Procurement Division of Limbaži Municipality Evija Mežinska.
The conference will discuss practical solutions and opportunities for sustainable procurement to have a positive impact on society, environmental protection and economic development. The full agenda is available on the Sustainable Procurement Association's website.
Registration and information
The event is free of charge, but advance registration is required. Registration link: https://ej.uz/reg_anketa