Increasing your city’s climate adaptation strategy with precommercial procurement

The ever-evolving challenges posed by the rapid pace of climate change demand swift and proactive responses from municipalities. Investing in innovative solutions is paramount to address these challenges effectively. Utilising pre-commercial procurement (PCP) within sustainable energy and climate action plans can be instrumental in helping municipalities streamline their climate change risk assessments and vulnerability analyses. This approach enables them to achieve greater impacts with their adaptation strategies.  

Furthermore, by procuring innovative solutions, municipalities can actively shape development in their regions while encouraging businesses to invest in research and development tailored to local climate adaptation needs. Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) serve as an effective conduit for introducing the procurement of innovative solutions into municipal administrations. To maximise the effectiveness of PCP within this framework, several recommendations are proposed: 
 
1. Political Support through SECAP Development: Leverage the development of SECAPs as an opportunity to garner political backing for PCP, especially during the restructuring of municipal procurement processes. 
 
2. Align PCP with Long-Term Municipal Strategies: Harness PCP initiatives to align with the municipality's long-term objectives, such as monitoring flood-prone areas and combating illegal dumping. 
 
3. Utilise Earth Observation and PCP for Risk Assessment: Incorporate Earth Observation technologies into PCP initiatives to develop tools for assessing climate change risks and formulating adaptation strategies. This integration facilitates ongoing progress monitoring and enhances the municipality's resilience to climate-related challenges. 

To find out more, read the Protect Policy Brief or visit their website! 

In a webinar hosted by Climate Alliance, the focus was on clarifying the potential of pre-commercial procurement (PCP) in bolstering Sustainable Climate Action Plans (SECAPs). Attendees were treated to a comprehensive exploration of how PCP can be harnessed to assess climate impacts and risks, particularly within the framework of SECAPs. The session commenced with an insightful overview by Ana Lucia Jaramillo from Corvers Procurement Services, who delved into the essence of PCP and its sibling, PPI (Public Procurement of Innovation).  

Attendees gained a deeper understanding of how these methodologies could be leveraged to advance SECAP objectives. Following this, Climate Alliance underscored the significance of SECAPs and provided guidance on strategically integrating PCP and PPI within them. This segment served as a roadmap for municipalities seeking to embed innovative procurement practices into their climate action strategies. Ioana Rosca from Aerospace Valley took the stage next, shedding light on the transformative potential of earth observation (EO) in the realm of SECAPs. Attendees learned about the myriad ways EO technologies could enrich climate services and enhance the efficacy of SECAP implementation.  

The webinar also offered a glimpse into the PROTECT project, presented by Melissa Campagno of G.A.C. Group. PROTECT stood as a beacon for urgent climate adaptation and mitigation efforts, facilitating collaborative pre-commercial procurement initiatives among European public authorities. Through PROTECT, stakeholders gained access to cutting-edge procurement approaches tailored to address the pressing demands of climate action. Overall, the webinar provided a comprehensive platform for stakeholders to delve into the intricacies of PCP, PPI, and EO technologies, underscoring their pivotal role in advancing Sustainable Climate Action Plans and fostering climate resilience at the municipal level.