Leading by Example with Sustainable Procurement at COP21

Local governments can – and do – lead by example in their climate actions – and one of the most impactful actions they can take is to reduce their own carbon emissions through sustainable procurement.   The Seoul Municipal Government and ICLEI, building on its long history of sustainable procurement, have joined forces to establish the Global Lead City Network on Sustainable Procurement to create a worldwide network of leading cities that share and develop their capabilities to implement sustainable and innovation procurement, driving a transition to sustainable production and consumption. Seoul Mayor and ICLEI President, Park Won Soon is expected to welcome participants to the first annual network summit, to be held on December 5 at COP21 in the Cities and Regions Pavilion. ICLEI USA is pleased to announce that Denver is the first U.S. city to join the network.  Congratulations to Mayor Michael Hancock and his team for their leadership in linking up with Seoul, Cape Town, Auckland, Rotterdam, and others and their acknowledgement that good procurement takes into account social, environmental, and economic impacts. As Denver Purchasing Director, John Utterback, notes “Sustainability starts with the simple act of being thoughtful – considering the ripple effects of purchasing decisions. Denver works hard to embody that thoughtfulness in all of our purchases.”