Sustainable procurement is about being deliberate and conscientious when it comes to purchasing decisions, and where possible, reusing and repairing rather than replacing. Aalborg is the first municipality in Denmark to apply the circular economy to the procurement of furniture for primary and secondary schools.

Schools can reuse and repair classroom furniture rather than buying new, saving on costs and reducing the need for production of new furniture. Circular economy thinking is about keeping the cradle-to-grave loops as tight as possible, and moving away from a traditional throwaway, more wasteful linear-economy.

Sustainable procurement is a principle that guides purchasing decisions that achieve value for money on a lifecycle cost basis, generating benefits for the municipality as well as the environment, society and economy. Sustainable procurement looks beyond short-term needs and considers the whole lifecycle of a product or service. The City of Aalborg believes in voting through purchasing decisions, through choosing purchasing habits that reflect broader goals linked to addressing climate change, social well-being and resilience, and green growth. For example, at the Centre for Green Transition if we are buying new computers, we look for those that have the lowest energy demands, and here at Aalborg Municipality, we have hydrogen and electric vehicles that our staff can use to get to meetings, steering away from fossil fuel dependent transport.