Promoting sustainable public procurement through economic policy tools: From moral suasion to nudging

Abstract

As the climate crisis accelerates and governments aspire to achieve more circular economies, this article encourages experimentation with innovative, interdisciplinary, and sustainable approaches that exploit governments’ enormous spending power. Rather than waiting for legislative or regulatory changes, the article advocates driving sustainable public procurement (SPP) through efficient and available behavioral-economics-inspired “green defaults,” nudging, persuading procurement officials, and, more broadly, rethinking the value proposition when confronted with price premiums.