Putting your money where your mouth is: green procurement as a form of sustainability

Abstract

Purpose There is a robust and growing literature on the adoption of sustainability policies in US local governments. Scholars have examined locality involvement in climate protection networks, sustainability policy adoption and the allocation of resources for sustainability-oriented responsibilities. While a significant body of literature, the substantive meaningfulness of the sustainability policies being investigated has varied greatly. Design/methodology/approach The authors assert that governments that engage in green procurement activities are truly putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to sustainability policy. They ask the question of whether the traditional determinants of sustainability policy adoption influence the adoption of permissive and mandated green procurement policies in local governments. Findings In particular, scholars have not examined one of the most significant ways that local governments have of promoting environmentally responsible behaviors and mitigating climate change: public procurement.