The Effectiveness of Green Public Procurement Policies on Promoting Regional Sustainable Development

Abstract

As countries face growing environmental challenges, Green Public Procurement (GPP) has emerged as a pivotal strategy to advance sustainable development. This study explores empirical evidence of the effectiveness of GPP policies in enhancing sustainability. This study adopted a descriptive design as its primary research method. The population for this study includes emerging and transition regions within the European Union (EU) countries for the years 2019-2023. The study focused on both emerging and transitioning economies (Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, and Greece) and (Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) based on the availability of data on public procurement and sustainable policy development using purposive sampling technique. The study revealed that government procurement of environmental protection has a positive and significant effect on the employment rate (Economic sustainability), Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Environment sustainability), and the Human Development Index (Social sustainability). The study concludes that GPP for environmental protection, when integrated with macroeconomic and institutional factors, serves as a powerful tool for promoting sustainable development. Hence, recommendations were provided for all actors in the regional economic spheres of the analyzed countries.