Local Authorities
Integrating nature at the heart of public procurement
More than a territory: a major economic actor
Local authorities are traditionally associated with biodiversity issues through land planning, urban development, and natural space management. But their role goes far beyond that.
As public contracting authorities, they allocate billions of euros each year to build, equip, supply, and operate their services. Public procurement represents around 8% of GDP in France — a considerable lever for transforming value chains.
Why responsible public procurement is a key issue
- Economic weight: each purchasing decision influences entire sectors — construction, catering, energy, mobility, digital services, etc.
- Exemplariness: local authorities are expected to lead by example and mobilize local economic actors.
- Resilience: integrating biodiversity, water, and resource considerations into procurement policies helps safeguard public services against future crises (shortages, costs, climate risks).
- Regulatory frameworks: responsible public procurement is now enshrined in law (Public Procurement Code, Climate and Resilience Law, SNB 2030).
Our support for local authorities
We help your authority effectively integrate nature and biodiversity issues into procurement policies and procedures by:
- Diagnosing material issues across different procurement categories (construction, energy, supplies, food, digital services…).
- Conducting workshops with purchasing and sustainable development teams to identify actionable levers.
- Providing dedicated tools to assess and prioritize risks and opportunities related to nature.
- Integrating criteria into tender documents: drafting clauses and requirements to steer public contracts toward more sustainable solutions.
- Raising awareness among elected officials and staff, leveraging our educational expertise (see our awareness-raising solutions).
- Designing and drafting guides to clearly communicate issues and best practices within your services.
What our clients say
Our vision
Local authorities are not only territory managers: they are also powerful economic actors. Transforming procurement policies reduces pressures on biodiversity while creating a positive ripple effect across local and national supply chains.