Green procurement, one in five tenders does not apply minimum environmental criteria

More than one tender out of five does not apply the minimum environmental criteria (the so-called Cams), despite the fact that since 2016 there has been an obligation to include them in public contracts. The figure emerges from the ninth Report of the Green Procurement Observatory by Legambiente and Fondazione Ecosistemi, which will be presented today during the second day of the Compraverde Buygreen Forum in Rome.

The analysis by Legambiente examines 847 tenders issued in 2025 by 122 public contracting stations, including 13 regional central purchasing bodies, 83 protected area management bodies and 26 local health authorities. It turns out that in 191 tenders, or 22.6% of the total, CAMs were not applied. Among the minimum environmental criteria most disregarded, according to the analysis, is the one concerning work footwear and leather accessories, in force since 2018, which was not applied in 24 of the 51 tenders in which it should have been envisaged (47% of cases).

This is followed by the cultural events Cam, absent in 22 out of 55 tenders, representing a non-application rate of 40 per cent. Then there is the Roads Cam, with a disapplication rate of 38 per cent. This is followed by the refreshment outlets and vending machines Cam at 37 per cent, the textile products Cam, not applied in 15 tenders out of 32 (equal to 32 per cent), the public green Cam at 26 per cent, the vehicles Cam at 23 per cent, the cartridges and toner Cam at 22 per cent, and finally the interior furnishings Cam at 20 per cent. Enrico Fontana, of Legambiente's National Secretariat, explains: "Cams are not just a regulatory compliance but aquality factor in procurement, because they make procedures more transparent, introduce verifiable requirements, guarantee traceability of materials, and strengthen controls.

The Report, however, goes beyond just CAMs and analyses more generally the state of diffusion ofGreen public procurement in Italia, considering the tools that favour its spread. "Green public procurement, from which CAMs derive, is no longer just a technical tool linked to public procurement, but a truestrategic lever of industrial, environmental and social policy," says Renata Zuffi, president of the Coordinamento Agende 21 Locali Italiane (Italian Local Agenda 21 Coordination), which has prepared the first Notebook dedicated to the application of GPP.

The Legambiente survey thus reveals an overall GPP performance index of 65 per cent for the 122 contracting stations monitored. Among the most critical issues is thepoor monitoring of green procurement: on this front, a non-implementation rate of 78 per cent was recorded. In addition, there is a lack of dedicated figures within the administrations for green procurement. Only 8% of the sample analysed had in fact set up a contact person in this sector. Specific training is also lacking in many cases.