Tender for public transport services by the Barcelona Metropolitan Area
About this good practice
“Service Quality indicators”
Environmental Impact: Values the effect on the environment caused by a transport service public. The winning company must have, within a maximum period of 18 months years from the date of opening of the service, an Environmental Management System accordingly to EMAS Regulation, with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of the operation of the service. In a maximum period of 18 months from the date of the opening of the service, the winning company is committed to obtaining the certification according to the following quality standards:
- Standard UNE 13816
- EMAS Regulation.
Once the certificates have been obtained, the organization will have to perform the relevant audits in order to maintain the validity of certificates during the contract.
Expert opinion
By using their purchasing power to choose goods, services and works with a reduced environmental impact, governments can make an important contribution towards sustainability goals. The European Commission defines Green Public Procurement (GPP) as "a process whereby public authorities seek to procure goods, services and works with a reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycle when compared to goods, services and works with the same primary function that would otherwise be procured." This good practice is a simple but seemingly effective way to boost the EMAS uptake in a particular sector of the economy. It could be interesting to public authorities who are facing slow EMAS registration rate and who, at the same time, would like to implement Green Public Procurement. Interested regions could further explore what the legal ways are to force the winning company to really implement EMAS and how big the advantage is at the tender stage of an EMAS-registered company.
Resources needed
The expenses are for the awarded company in the case they are not EMAS registered (mainly auditing process and EMS implementation if they do not have any).
Evidence of success
Potential for learning or transfer
There are no available statistics on the environmental results of it, but it certainly improves:
- Legal compliance of those organisations participating to the tenders
- Transparency
- Availability of environmental data
There are not technical barriers:
- The period of time for achieving EMAS registration (2 years) is appropriate
- The sector where it can be implemented are usually “matured” so it makes sense to ask for a systematic approach in environmental management
- Organisations participating to tenders usually have other management systems, that could help in the integration of environmental aspects (quality, energy management, etc.).
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Barcelona Metropolitan Area