Procurement accounts for more than 14 percent of the European Union's GDP, corresponding to EUR 2 trillion annually. As part of its engagement at Climate Week NYC this week, Skanska will promote the role of public procurement as a strategic tool to accelerate innovation and performance.

The role of public procurement in delivering long-term value deserves far more attention. The EU is currently evaluating its public procurement directives; the European Commission is conducting targeted consultations with experts to collect input for the evaluation, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. The evaluation aims to examine how the procurement rules work across the EU and whether they are still fit for purpose.

"Public procurement is a powerful tool to drive innovation and strengthen competitiveness," says Anders Danielsson, President and CEO of Skanska Group. "But today's regulatory frameworks are not designed to meet the challenges of the future. That's why we want to see more strategic approaches to procurement, such as competitive dialogue."

Skanska projects in Sweden, Norway and the United States show that performance and cost efficiency can go hand in hand. Examples such as the Meatpacking District in Stockholm, the Lindesnes healthcare building in Norway and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York demonstrate that public procurement can deliver infrastructure and buildings that are more efficient, cost-effective and better performing - over their entire life cycles.

"By using fewer materials, optimizing designs and applying smart construction methods, we can speed up decarbonization, and create buildings that consume less energy, have lower costs and energy bills, and in some cases produce more energy than they use over their entire lifetimes," says Lena Hök, Executive Vice President for Sustainability & Innovation with Skanska Group.

To unlock the potential of public procurement, Skanska proposes seven concrete actions in the report Procurement for Impact:

1. Introduce mandatory performance and resilience criteria in all procurement processes.
2. Set minimum requirements for energy-efficient materials and methods in major projects.
3. Prioritize life-cycle perspectives over lowest price.
4. Use more strategic procurement methods, such as competitive dialogue.
5. Provide public buyers with better tools, training and support to set performance requirements.
6. Coordinate procurement in critical infrastructure sectors.
7. Promote a learning culture for knowledge-sharing and innovation between public authorities and suppliers.

By modernizing procurement rules, the EU and other public sector bodies, can not only drive demand for efficient, high-performing solutions - but also maximize taxpayer value and build more resilient and future-ready infrastructure.

Download the full report here: skanska-report-procurement-for-impact-1.pdf