School meals can become a powerful tool for climate action. This is the key finding of an analysis carried out by Fondazione Ecosistemi in collaboration with the Climate Office of Rome Capital on the city’s new public school catering contract. By increasing plant-based menus, organic products and local supply chains, the Rome model is able to reduce emissions associated with school catering by up to 33%, while generating environmental, social and economic benefits.
Twenty years ago, Green Public Procurement was still a pioneering approach. Today, it has become a strategic lever capable of shaping investments, supply chains, industrial innovation and public policies. On 27–28 May 2026, Forum Compraverde Buygreen returns to Rome for its 20th edition, placing the role of public demand at the centre of the ecological transition, European competitiveness and the development of more sustainable and resilient economic models.
At a time marked by high energy costs, geopolitical tensions and growing industrial competition, public spending is once again at the centre of the debate as an economic lever. It is in this context that the 20th edition of the Forum Compraverde Buygreen was presented at the Chamber of Deputies. Promoted by Fondazione Ecosistemi, the Forum – taking place in Rome on 27 and 28 May – is one of Europe’s leading events dedicated to Green Public Procurement, namely the use of public procurement to steer markets, innovation and sustainability.
The press conference presenting the Forum Compraverde Buygreen 2026, scheduled for 4 May at the Chamber of Deputies, will provide an initial overview of the themes of the 20th edition, with a focus on the role of public spending in the green transition and the competitiveness of production systems. In a European context increasingly oriented towards using public procurement as an economic and industrial lever, the discussion will address policies and tools capable of steering the market towards more sustainable models.
The process of activating, engaging and supporting the stakeholders who will form the future INFEAS – Information, Training and Education on the Environment and Sustainability network, promoted and facilitated by Fondazione Ecosistemi, has been completed. This is a key milestone, marking the project’s entry into an operational phase and forming part of a broader regulatory process aimed at establishing new centres for sustainability education.
Joint procurement as a strategic tool to improve efficiency and administrative capacity in small municipalities. This is the focus of the webinar “Joint Procurement – Sustainable joint procurement for small municipalities”, scheduled for 25 March 2026, organised within the framework of the European proCURE project. The initiative is addressed to public authorities and professionals interested in developing more collaborative, sustainable and effective procurement practices.