Members of STRING, comprising The City of Oslo (NO), Akershus County (NO), Østfold County (NO), the City of Gothenburg (SE) Region Halland (SE), Region Skåne (SE), the City of Helsingborg (SE), the City of Malmö (SE), the City of Copenhagen (DK), the Capital Region of Denmark (DK), Region Zealand (DK), the Region of Southern Denmark (DK), Schleswig-Holstein (DE), the City of Kiel (DE) and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (DE), have formally approved this document during the Political Forum convened in Gothenburg on November 5th, 2024.
Background
STRING is a political member organisation for local and regional authorities in the corridor from Oslo to Hamburg. Its members are cities and regions working together to accelerate the green transition through improving green infrastructure and green growth in the corridor. This joint statement articulates the shared aim of STRING members to pursue an ambitious green public procurement agenda, serving as a declaration of intent to advance this collective vision.
Transport is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in our region. STRING’s members have ambitious targets for green transport and ultimately the goal is to have zero emission transport solutions in place as soon as possible. In the area of transport, STRING members procure vehicles and transport services for different purposes:
- For public transport
- For providing a wide variety of services run by the city or region using their own fleet
- For delivery of every service or product that the cities and regions buy within the framework of public contracts
STRING members have substantial purchasing power as its members procure goods and services for more than EUR 12 billion annually. By making ambitious demands for zero emission solutions in procurement, STRING members can accelerate the production and use of zero emission vehicles and other environmentally friendly solutions such as bicycles and logistics hubs, enhancing green solutions while cultivating the development of green jobs within the STRING region.
The STRING members also recognise that in order to address issues such as biodiversity, energy and mineral scarcity, the work towards zero emission transport solutions within public procurement should be supplemented by measures to optimise STRING members’ own fleets and streamline their transportation patterns.
Furthermore, focusing on the sourcing and deployment of climate-friendly batteries will be of increasing importance. By combining the joint purchasing power within the STRING geography, we can significantly accelerate the transition towards zero emission transportation.
Commitment
We, the regions and cities in STRING, are committed to reducing emissions from transportation in our public contracts. The members of STRING will demand and award zero emission, biogas and 100% green HVO transportation in our tenders whenever possible, and where the climate impact from transport is significant.
More specifically:
- From 2027 the aim is to call for zero emission, biogas and 100% green HVO solutions in all new tenders involving last mile transportation of goods and services, where the climate impact from transport is significant and where such transport solutions are available.
- From 2028 the aim is to only acquire zero emission, biogas and 100% green HVO solutions to our own fleets (with the exemption of transport by specialised vehicles such as fire engines and ambulances).
- From 2028 the aim is for all new public transport contracts to be made for zero emission, biogas and 100% green HVO solutions.
Measures
- The individual STRING members will gradually demand and award zero emission transportation solutions in upcoming public tenders.
- STRING members will engage in clear signalling to the market and suppliers of public and goods transportation to create a market dialogue, address barriers and drive market readiness.
- STRING members will share experiences and innovative solutions to further accelerate the use of zero emission award criteria and contract clauses to maximise impact.
