In response to global challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, and increasing soil sealing, green procurement criteria are gaining prominence in the tendering and execution of construction projects. These criteria can be defined as requirements aimed at minimizing environmental impacts across the project life cycle, including planning, construction, and operation. Typical dimensions include resource efficiency, energy and water performance, and the use of sustainable building materials.
Due to its example function, public clients in particular are increasingly expected to evaluate projects not only in terms of cost and quality, but also in terms of their environmental performance. Despite this expectation, no standardized methodology currently exists for structuring green procurement criteria, integrating them into procurement processes, and monitoring their implementation. This research therefore addresses the question of how green procurement criteria can be systematically structured to enable both practical application and verifiable monitoring.
The objective is to develop a practice-oriented framework that supports the formulation of ecological requirements, facilitates their systematic integration into procurement and contracting, and enables consistent monitoring during the construction phase. The framework is derived from empirical insights generated in two pilot projects that are real-world laboratories in public transport infrastructure focusing on subway and road construction. Through process analysis of how green procurement criteria and monitoring mechanisms were applied, transferable recommendations for practice are developed.
The proposed approach contributes to both research and practice. Scientifically, it advances the conceptualization and monitoring of green procurement as an instrument for embedding sustainability objectives in the construction sector. In practice, it offers clients and contractors guidance on implementing and monitoring environmental objectives in procurement and construction processes. Moreover, green procurement criteria create incentives for innovation, enabling small and medium-sized enterprises to strengthen their competitive position against larger market actors through sustainable solutions.