Public Procurement: How to Draft a Legally Sound Carbon Criterion?

The Climate and Resilience Act marks a historic turning point for public procurement: by August 2026, the use of an environmental criterion will be mandatory for all contracts. However, for many buyers, the question remains: how can carbon be incorporated in a robust manner without exposing themselves to legal risks or appeals from unsuccessful bidders?

Watch the full recording of our webinar hosted by experts from ABGI and Decarbo’Solution®, featuring an exclusive testimonial from Groupe ADP.

A Regulatory Framework That Is Evolving Rapidly

The key challenge for public procurers is to move from a simple, general CSR rating—often deemed too vague by the courts because it is not linked to the subject matter of the contract—to a detailed analysis of the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF).

1. Ensure the legal compliance of your Request for Proposals (RFP) documents

Pour être valide, un critère carbone doit être “lié à l’objet du marché ou à ses conditions d’exécution”. L’utilisation de la norme ISO 14067 permet de garantir une comparaison équitable, scientifique et surtout auditable entre les offres. Cette méthodologie transforme le carbone en une donnée technique aussi indiscutable qu’un prix ou une performance mécanique.

💡 For more information on the legal aspects, see our article on this topic: Climate and Resilience Act: Key Takeaways.

2. Case Study: The ADP Group

Marc Levasseur (Chief ESR Purchasing Officer at ADP) shared a compelling analysis: by incorporating carbon criteria through the PCF, the group found emissions differences of up to 90% between two technically similar solutions. This finding proves that without an accurate measurement of carbon footprint, a buyer may miss out on a massive opportunity for decarbonization while believing they are making a responsible choice. Carbon performance thus becomes a true indicator of competitiveness.

3. Decarbo’Tender®: The Tool to Take Action

Analyzing suppliers’ carbon footprints should not become an administrative burden. That’s where Decarbo’Tender® comes in. This solution allows you to:

To automate the collection of PCFs from bidders.

To verify the consistency of the data using a robust database of emission factors.

To generate summary reports ready for your bid committees.

Learn how Decarbo’Tender® helps secure your requests for proposals , or request a personalized demo of the Decarbo’Solution® platform.

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