Green Public Procurement is no longer just an environmental tool. Today, it represents a strategic lever capable of shaping markets, supporting innovative industrial supply chains, accelerating the ecological transition and strengthening the competitiveness of the European economic system.
This vision is at the core of the 20th edition of Forum Compraverde Buygreen, taking place on 27–28 May 2026 at WeGil in Rome. Promoted by Fondazione Ecosistemi, the Forum is Italy’s leading national and European event dedicated to sustainable public procurement and sustainability policies.
Twenty years after its first edition, the Forum returns with an even broader and more multidisciplinary programme, built around the strategic role of public demand in the country’s economic, energy, industrial and social transformation. Two days of conferences, workshops, round tables, reports, networking and training activities will bring together European institutions, public authorities, companies, universities, research centres and national and international organisations committed to promoting Green Public Procurement and sustainable development models.
Twenty years of Green Public Procurement: from sustainability to industrial policy
Forum Compraverde Buygreen 2026 will also provide an opportunity to reflect on twenty years of Green Public Procurement in Italy. From the introduction of Italy’s Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM) to the growing role of public demand in European competitiveness and industrial resilience strategies, GPP has progressively transformed the relationship between sustainability, innovation and the market.
For this reason, the opening conference will focus on the theme “20 Years of GPP: Public Demand as a Driver of Prosperity, Competitiveness and European Industrial Policy”, highlighting the role of public procurement in building sustainable supply chains and supporting the transition towards low-carbon production models.
Alongside this, the Forum will host the presentation of the publication “Green Public Procurement. Twenty Years of Implementation and Its Relaunch as an Industrial Policy Tool”, developed by Coordinamento Agende 21 Locali Italiane and Fondazione Ecosistemi to analyse the evolution of GPP in Italy and the future perspectives of sustainable procurement.
Data, territories and supply chains: procurement as a driver of change
One of the Forum’s key events will be the presentation of the 9th Green Procurement Observatory Report, offering an updated overview of the state of Green Public Procurement in Italy through data, analysis and performance assessments of public administrations. Particular attention will also be given to the relationship between sustainability, businesses and supply chains.
The Forum will host the 6th Sustainability Monitor Report (SMR), focused on the evolution of sustainable procurement strategies among major Italian companies and their role in transforming supply chains. Alongside the business sector, significant space will be dedicated to territories and public administrations through sessions focused on regional GPP strategies, the experiences of the Metropolitan City of Rome and territorial sustainability policies.
Energy, infrastructure and ecological transition
One of the main thematic strands of Forum 2026 will focus on the energy efficiency of public buildings and sustainable infrastructure. Conferences and round tables will bring together companies, stakeholders and institutions to discuss strategies for accelerating the energy retrofitting of public assets, the role of Italian companies in the energy transition and the opportunities linked to low-carbon procurement. The debate will also address innovative materials, environmental criteria, infrastructure decarbonisation and development models capable of integrating environmental sustainability, industrial innovation and economic competitiveness.
School canteens, food policy and sustainable food systems
Food and sustainable collective catering will represent one of the central themes of the Forum’s 20th edition. From school canteens as educational and social tools to the environmental impact assessment of collective catering, the programme will explore the strategic role of food policies in transforming food systems. Highlights will include the final conference of SchoolFood4Change, sessions dedicated to Rome’s school canteens as a best practice, environmental monitoring systems for collective catering and discussions on building a possible Alliance for Sustainable School Canteens.
Social procurement, sport and responsibility in public supply chains
Social sustainability will be another key focus of Forum 2026. Sessions dedicated to social procurement, responsibility in public supply chains and the social impact of sport will explore the role of public demand in protecting people, promoting rights and building more inclusive economic models. This context will also include the project work developed by the Department of Business Economics of Roma Tre University, bringing the contribution of academia and research to the debate on sustainability applied to public supply chains.
A European and international forum
Forum Compraverde Buygreen once again confirms its strong European and international dimension. The 2026 edition will host discussions dedicated to international cooperation and the development of the green market, including the session “Italy–China: Cooperation and the Development of the Green Market”, focused on opportunities for collaboration between production systems, businesses and territories in the field of environmental sustainability. The Forum will also involve representatives from European institutions, universities, cities and international organisations engaged in promoting Green Public Procurement and sustainability policies.
GPP Academy, documentary and Compraverde Award
Alongside conferences and workshops, the Forum will host the new edition of the GPP Academy, the training programme dedicated to sustainability and Green Public Procurement. For the Forum’s twentieth anniversary, the GPP Academy will introduce a special format featuring 20 short digital talks delivered by experts, public officials, researchers and professionals to share experiences, tools and strategies for change.
The programme will also include the documentary “Twenty Years of GPP. When Public Spending Drives Change”, dedicated to twenty years of Green Public Procurement in Italy, and the Compraverde Buygreen Award 2026 ceremony, recognising the best Italian experiences in public and private sustainability.
How to participate
Forum Compraverde Buygreen 2026 will take place on 27–28 May at WeGil, in the heart of Trastevere, Rome.
Participation is free upon online registration.
The main conferences hosted in the Brundtland Hall will also be available via live streaming through the Forum’s official channels.
