Programme declaration 2030

Sweden’s regions are responsible for key public services that have a major impact on citizens’ lives, with healthcare and public transport being the largest and perhaps most essential. Procurement in the regions aims to ensure the availability of the products and services needed to deliver these services, while also promoting sustainable development.

Procurement departments in Sweden’s regions work to make sure that all purchased products and services are produced under sustainable and responsible conditions. They strive to minimise negative impacts on people and the environment throughout the entire lifecycle of a product or service.

All regions in Sweden follow a shared Code of Conduct for suppliers, adopted at the political level, which covers human rights, workers’ rights, environmental responsibility, and anti-corruption.

Citizens Place a High Value on Sustainability

Citizens in Sweden value sustainability highly. The Sverigestudien survey, conducted by the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SKR) and others, measures the values that shape Sweden, its municipalities, regions, and workplaces. The key trend in the 2020 study is a growing focus on social, economic, and environmental sustainability – regardless of age or location. When Swedes are asked how society should develop, values such as sustainability and responsibility for future generations rank near the top of the list, just after employment and economic stability.

Public expectations that regions act to strengthen sustainability in their operations and procurement contribute to the high demands placed on procurement departments for sustainable practices. The activities of the regions are increasingly scrutinised, and accountability is rising. Criticism can be severe if responsibility for sustainability is not upheld. Together, these factors ensure that sustainable procurement remains a high priority on the regions’ agenda today.

Reduced Risks, Increased Trust, and Improved Conditions for People and the Environment

Sustainable procurement helps reduce risks for organisations by increasing transparency and traceability in supply chains, as well as enabling more effective risk management. Strengthened collaboration around sustainable procurement allows the regions to leverage greater combined purchasing power to accelerate the transition to sustainable production and consumption. A strategic perspective, high ambitions, and increased professionalisation of sustainable procurement create tangible benefits for the regions’ citizens, employees, and decision-makers. This generates significant value.

Sustainable procurement also contributes to making procurement departments more attractive employers – an important factor in many sectors where competition for skilled staff is high.

Beyond securing access to products and services, the regions’ work on sustainable procurement aims to improve conditions for people and the environment – both regionally and globally. While this may be a considerable undertaking, there is a clear and concrete link between the regions’ daily procurement activities and the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals under Agenda 2030.

Sustainable Procurement in Practice: Child Labour in Pakistan

In 2007, the auditing organisation SwedWatch highlighted the presence of child labour in the production of surgical instruments in Pakistan. The report revealed hazardous working conditions and wages insufficient to support a living. In the report White Coats and Sharp Scissors – A Report on County Councils’ Lack of Ethical Procurement, it was shown that instruments purchased for Swedish healthcare were produced in workplaces with serious shortcomings. Images of child labourers received widespread media attention, and the regions were criticised for using public funds in ways that violated human rights.

The media scrutiny prompted Region Skåne, Västra Götaland Region, and the then Stockholm County Council to begin a joint effort to develop supplier guidelines. This resulted in a Code of Conduct for suppliers, requiring that the regions’ suppliers respect human rights, workers’ rights, environmental standards, and anti-corruption measures. By 2010, all other regions had joined the national collaboration and have since implemented sustainable procurement practices to reduce negative impacts on people and the environment.

A follow-up review by SwedWatch in 2015 demonstrated that these requirements had had an effect, although they had not yet fully reached all subcontractors. Child labour is now actively prevented, statutory minimum wages have been introduced, overtime is regulated, and the physical working environment has been improved.

Since 2010, the regions have worked together to promote sustainable procurement – fully in line with Agenda 2030 and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. This collaboration gives the regions greater collective influence as purchasers. Many suppliers sell products and services to all regions, and there are clear benefits when procurement departments coordinate their efforts.

Over the more than ten years of collaboration on sustainable procurement, development has not stood still. Citizens’ demands and expectations have increased, as have international expectations. The Government’s procurement strategy has been introduced, and the regions have sharpened their ambitions in this area. It is therefore time to raise the level of ambition and aim higher.

The Regions’ Model of Voluntary Collaboration

Sustainable procurement is a collaborative effort between the procurement and sustainability departments of Sweden’s regions. At the national level, the regions’ joint Secretariat for Sustainable Procurement drives, develops, and coordinates processes that support operations. This includes developing harmonised requirements, providing national support for contract monitoring and audits, communicating results, and offering expertise and training opportunities.

However, the Secretariat does not make the decisions. Decisions are made within each individual region. The regions are also responsible for identifying social and environmental risks in the procurement of products and services, developing both long- and short-term action plans, and overseeing contract follow-ups.

The voluntary collaboration model places specific responsibilities on the regions. Each region must allocate sufficient resources and implement sustainable procurement practices independently. Sustainable procurement therefore relies entirely on the efforts and commitment of each individual region.

By 2030, Sweden’s regions meet citizens’ high expectations for sustainability and responsibility towards future generations. World-leading methods in sustainable public procurement, combined with ambitious targets and high expertise, have accelerated the shift towards socially and environmentally sustainable production and consumption, in line with Agenda 2030.

By 2030, sustainability is fully embedded throughout the procurement process in priority categories. Our work is at the forefront of the procurement field, with national collaboration, harmonised requirements, and follow-ups that have real impact.

By 2030, successful sustainable procurement has strengthened citizens’ trust in the regions and their role in building a sustainable society. Together with developments in regional operations, sustainability work and sustainable procurement have improved welfare, contributing to higher quality of life and greater confidence in the future.

Sustainable Procurement in Practice: Workers in Malaysia Free from Debt Bondage

In the autumn of 2018, international media and human rights organisations reported that migrant workers from Bangladesh, Nepal, and other countries were forced to work under near-slavery conditions in glove factories in Malaysia. These factories supply medical gloves to Sweden. Three Swedish regions acted swiftly, achieving significant improvements.

Serious Abuses Uncovered

Region Östergötland, Region Kalmar County, and Region Jönköping County decided in 2019 to conduct audits at five glove suppliers with production in Malaysia. Together with an international auditing firm, the regions formed a team that conducted numerous interviews with workers of various nationalities.

The audits uncovered serious abuses. Some workers had paid recruitment fees equivalent to over SEK 40,000, while the Malaysian minimum wage at the time was just over SEK 2,000 per month. The fees were said to cover travel, visas, administrative costs, and service fees, but often included unspecified charges and, in many cases, bribes.

Discrimination was also reported, with punishments including physical violence or relocation to workstations with high temperatures. Extreme overtime occurred; some workers had logged up to 339 hours in a single month, far exceeding the limits in the regions’ contract requirements.

The audits identified hazardous working conditions, poor air quality, high noise levels, and broken fire alarms. Dormitories were overcrowded, with up to 48 workers per room, lacking basic hygiene, furniture, and facilities, and unsafe conditions for women.

Regions Take Action – Achieving Results

Dialogue with all suppliers began immediately to improve conditions for workers. Factories implemented risk assessment and monitoring routines for recruitment agents. They committed to covering workers’ recruitment fees, ensuring new employees would not be burdened.

Discussions continued on the possibility of reimbursing workers who had already incurred recruitment debts—a challenge initially seen as almost impossible due to high costs. After 18 months, all factories agreed to repay historical recruitment fees, allowing repayment plans to be established.

Our strategy to realise the vision consists of three main pillars: Mobilisation, Collaboration, and Knowledge Sharing.

Mobilisation

Voluntary Collaboration Requires Commitment

National coordination of sustainable procurement, with shared costs, is more resource-efficient than each region developing its own approach. It also enables greater professionalisation and the development of specialised expertise. However, national coordination requires commitment: to achieve the 2030 vision, collaboration between Sweden’s regions must intensify, and procurement departments must be provided with the right conditions.

This includes regions making high-level sustainability commitments, procurement departments having access to adequate expertise, and organisations allocating sufficient resources to meet existing needs. These needs cover actions within each procurement category, including risk identification, developing long- and short-term action plans to manage risks in nationally prioritised categories, and overseeing contract follow-ups.

The regions’ joint Secretariat leads the collaboration, supports the regions in meeting their commitments, and provides expert knowledge together with sustainability departments. A standardised national approach is developed for all procurement departments. Expertise in various subject and risk areas is gathered and shared. Harmonised requirements are created, and follow-ups of nationally prioritised suppliers are coordinated. Experiences are shared across regions’ procurement and sustainability departments. Common approaches improve the quality of public procurement and increase trust in the regions and their procurement departments.

Stronger Tools for Sustainable Procurement

To achieve the 2030 vision, regions must further develop and implement sustainable procurement strategies. Procurement departments need to take the next step in their development. Economic, social, and environmental aspects must permeate the entire procurement process, from needs assessment and risk analysis to procurement, implementation, and follow-up.

A key tool is Due Diligence¹ regarding human rights and the environment – a process to identify, prevent, manage, and report risks in one’s own operations, supply chains, and other business relationships. Procurement departments apply due diligence internally, identifying and prioritising risks based on potential negative impacts on people and the environment in relation to the regions’ procurement categories. They also require suppliers to implement due diligence in their own operations and across all subcontractors. These requirements apply to nationally prioritised procurement categories.

Developing innovative monitoring solutions in close collaboration with suppliers, authorities, and NGOs is central to sustainable procurement. Procurement departments require suppliers to be transparent and openly report their supply chains, enabling more effective oversight and control.

For suppliers who fail to meet regional requirements, procurement departments act collectively to drive improvements and follow a clear escalation process. Measurable performance targets are developed to demonstrate the impact of the requirements.

Collaboration

Development Through Market Engagement

Procurement and sustainability departments cannot alone accelerate the transition to a more sustainable society. Collaboration and close dialogue with suppliers and industry associations are crucial. Sharing information and feedback has long been essential to developing and evaluating requirements that promote sustainability. To ensure fair competition, regions remain strictly impartial and independent in all collaboration. Dialogue is well-documented and open to review.

Dialogue strengthens procurement departments’ knowledge of sustainable products and services, suppliers’ sustainability efforts, and market conditions. It ensures market competition and that no supplier is excluded from public contracts. Dialogue fosters better business relationships and enables procurement departments to set clearer requirements for innovative sustainable solutions.

Action plans for identified risk areas are communicated early, with clear goals and activities. This improves predictability for suppliers regarding future needs and sustainability requirements. Expectations are clarified in expanded dialogue for closer cooperation, and feedback is gathered when updating or developing supplier codes of conduct, contract terms, and other sustainability criteria.

Training and guidance are provided to develop the competence of suppliers and industry associations regarding sustainable procurement and due diligence.

Collaboration with Other Authorities

Strategic national and international cooperation already exists with procurement authorities such as Adda Purchasing Centre, Sykehusinnkjøp in Norway, and Helsinki University Hospital in Finland. Collaboration includes information sharing and, in some cases, deeper cooperation on harmonising requirements and joint contract follow-ups. Risk analyses and sustainability requirements are made available, and results from contract follow-ups are shared.

Collaboration among procurement authorities in Sweden and internationally can generate significant synergies. Sweden’s regions are relatively small players in the global market. Working with other procurement authorities increases collective purchasing power and bargaining strength. Greater harmonisation – in line with EU, UN, ILO, and OECD frameworks for sustainable business – allows authorities to act consistently and accelerate the transition. Sweden’s regions continue to develop national and international collaborations, participating in pilot projects and partnerships to advance sustainable procurement strategies.

Closer Cooperation with NGOs

NGOs – including trade unions, auditing organisations, and environmental and human rights organisations – play a crucial role in accelerating the transition to a sustainable society. They possess expert knowledge and provide valuable insights into specific risks, such as forced labour, child labour, corruption, climate impact, or the use of harmful chemicals in products and production.

NGOs often represent the perspective of rights holders and can act as the regions’ eyes and ears on the ground in production countries. Dialogue with them is essential for environmental scanning and risk assessment. Information gathering from and collaboration with NGOs will be increased, and their input sought when developing new requirements and monitoring methods. As new methods are developed, organisations on the ground in production countries may play a larger role in follow-up activities.

Knowledge Sharing

The Sverigestudien shows that the public prioritises sustainability and responsibility towards future generations. Procurement departments must meet these expectations to build broad trust. This includes communicating results and the value of the work openly and transparently to the public and policymakers.

Sweden’s regions are politically governed organisations, ultimately accountable to elected officials. Political decisions must be based on facts and knowledge. Organisations participating in the collaboration play a central role in disseminating knowledge to regional politicians and officials and providing information to citizens – knowledge that highlights the value created by sustainable procurement and its impact on people and the environment.

This ensures that sustainable public procurement is integrated into political decisions, policies, and budgeting processes, clearly demonstrating its contribution to the transition towards sustainable consumption and production.

About Due Diligence

¹ The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights are based on the state’s duty to protect human rights, the corporate responsibility to respect human rights, and access to remedy for individuals in case of violations. Due diligence refers to the policies and procedures companies use to identify and prevent negative impacts on people and the environment in their own operations and throughout all levels of the supply chain. In Swedish, due diligence is often translated as tillbörlig aktsamhet.