Seoul leads new network of cities on sustainable procurement

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and ICLEI – local governments for sustainability, have partnered to create a network of leading cities that will share and develop their capabilities to implement sustainable and innovative procurement.

Launched during the ICLEI World Congress in Seoul, five cities from three continents pledged their support, including Seoul, Cape Town, Helsinki, Ghent and Rotterdam, with the long-term aim of increasing the network to 10 cities from all continents.

“The aim is to have a select group of ambitious cities to work together and act as regional champions, rather than to have a large a group as possible,” Simon Clement, Coordinator in the Sustainable Economy and Procurement team, ICLEI European Secretariat, told Cities Today. “They [member cities] have been asked to sign a founders’ commitment document to join, which commits them to a series of actions.”

These actions include setting and publicly announcing ambitious, quantified targets, acting as a global and regional champion of sustainable public procurement, and collaborating closely with other cities in the network.

According to the United Nations Office for Project Services, an average of 15 percent of global gross domestic product is spent through public procurement systems each year, amounting to over US$10 trillion.

The first step in developing the network will include creating concrete implementation targets for each participating city, together with monitoring mechanisms. By autumn, Clement expects another five cities to join, before the first workshop is due to be held.

On the opening day and to provide a backdrop for the event, 100 mayors and elected leaders signed the Seoul Declaration which sets out how to make cities sustainable.

“I am delighted to witness the launch of the Seoul Declaration,” said Park Won-soon, Mayor of Seoul, and the newly announced President of ICLEI. “Here in Seoul we are pursuing a number of initiatives to radically increase sustainability, including the ‘One Less Nuclear Power Plant’ project, which cuts dependence on fossil fuels. The Seoul Declaration is a major commitment by a huge number of global sustainability leaders to inspire these kinds of initiatives to every city and region, and to work together for a sustainable future.”

James Nxumalo, Mayor of Durban and ICLEI Vice President, welcomed the commitment of the Seoul Declaration to new cooperation initiatives between cities and small island states on adaptation and resilience. Parks Tau, Mayor of Johannesburg, praised the emphasis on EcoMobility and reminded participants that Johannesburg will host the second EcoMobility World Festival in October 2015, during which the centre of the city will be closed to cars.