From 25 to 27 June 2024, the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group met in Paris, France, to discuss global cooperation on integrity issues. Integrity & Compliance Manager Dr. Sanjeev Narrainen represented the Independent Integrity Unit (IIU) at the G20 side event, participating on a panel on the theme ‘Just and Sustainable Procurement for People and Planet’. 

This panel examined the strategic role of public procurement in optimising domestic resources and safeguarding development and climate finance. Panelists brought their perspectives to the vision of establishing a green public procurement process.

In his remarks, Dr. Sanjeev highlighted that public procurement is responsible for a significant proportion of GHC emissions: around 7.5 billion tonnes of direct and indirect emissions – roughly 15% of the world total. Procurement can be a lever to implement a whole-of-economy approach to climate change by aligning procurement decisions with sustainability and climate goals while ensuring integrity of the procurement process through transparency and accountability. Connecting this to procurement, he described how green procurement can help governments accelerate public procurement decarbonisation. By leveraging on integrity and sustainable practices, public procurement can promote the transition to a net-zero and circular economy while ensuring that climate finance is used for its intended purpose. 

Other members of the panel included Professor Sope Williams, professor and deputy director of the African Procurement Law Unit at Stellenbosch University in South Africa; Professor Laurence Folliot-Lalliot, professor of public law at the University of Paris Nanterre; and Erika Bozzay, senior advisor on public procurement at OECD. The session was moderated by Mr. Nicolas Penagos, director of the MAPS Secretariat. 

The session was attended by high level public officials of the G20 countries including representatives of African Union, OECD, Egmont Group, FATF, IMF.