Green Public Procurement in Latvian Municipalities: Comparative Analysis of Regional Implementation (2017 – 2024) on the Path Twards Sustainable Development

Achieving sustainable development - as defined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - requires not only visionary targets but also effective implementation tools. One such tool is Green Public Procurement (GPP), which enables public authorities to influence production and consumption patterns in favour of climate action, resource efficiency, and social equity [1, 2]. In Latvia, municipalities play a critical role in promoting sustainability through GPP, particularly in sectors such as food and construction, which are key to both environmental and regional policy goals [3, 4]. This paper presents a comparative analysis of GPP contracts implementation between 2017 and 2024, using registry-level procurement data, regional indicators, and institutional capacity perspectives. The analysis is complemented by survey data from 2018 and 2025, providing insight into the evolution of local motivation and barriers. The 2024 dataset reflects substantial changes in procurement registry methodology, where contract values are reported separately by procurement lots. To ensure consistency across the two periods, the comparative analysis is based on procurement counts rather than total financial volumes. The analysis also considers the 2021 administrative-territorial reform, which significantly altered the number and structure of municipalities. The findings show moderate growth in GPP application, yet with persistent regional disparities. Municipalities in Riga and the Riga metropolitan area consistently show higher levels of green procurement, supported by stronger institutional and financial capacity. The results also confirm that regulatory obligations remain the primary driver of GPP application, while strategic use remains limited. Despite improvements in administrative capacity, challenges such as limited tools, low managerial involvement, and data inconsistency in national systems continue to hinder wider uptake. The paper concludes that GPP implementation in Latvia is still largely compliance-based rather than strategic. Further research is needed to understand how to foster proactive, outcome-oriented use of green procurement at the local level - ensuring alignment with SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).