2. Introduction

This study is part of the Nordic Networks for Circular Construction (NNCC) project, Work Package 3, which focused on developing indicators to measure circularity within the construction sector. It builds on the report Nordic Networks for Circular Construction WP3: Metrics for Circularity. It resulted in a list of 11 potential indicators and a draft implementation strategy to determine the steps required to reach the overall objectives with a new monitoring framework. Most of these indicators will be collected at the macro level. However, strategic criteria should be enforced locally as part of the public procurement process to realise the indicators.

The overall objective of this study is to support the inclusion of circular construction criteria in public procurement. Therefore, the study focuses on municipalities working towards more circular construction, identifying whether municipal strategies as procurers of circular construction align with the recommended indicators. The study aims to answer the question:

The report is structured as follows: Following a brief presentation of the method, public procurement and circular construction strategies are introduced. Second, the indicators studied are introduced, and a cross-cutting analysis of each indicator’s relevance and implementation in the Nordic Municipalities is carried out. Finally, the study’s conclusions are presented.

The study has been conducted using a combination of desk research and interviews. The desk research has focused on current guidelines, strategies, and enforcement of green public procurement (GPP) for construction at the EU level and the local-level strategies and policies guiding public procurement for the municipalities included in the study. For each Nordic country, a municipality that has demonstrated leadership in circular construction has been invited to participate in the study. Semi-structured interviews have been carried out with representatives from the property departments and, in some cases, the public procurement departments of the municipalities of Bergen (NO), Copenhagen (DK), Gothenburg (SE), Helsinki (FI), and Reykjavik (IS). The interviews provide a more in-depth understanding of the municipalities’ overarching strategy and goals and their use of circular criteria and indicators. The interview guide was structured according to the eight indicators comprised by the study (see Annex I).