ÖkoKauf Wien (Vienna Buys Ecologically) is a cross-departmental programme launched in 1998. The programme aims to enhance the city of Vienna’s procurement system’s compatibility with the principles of climate protection and European Union (EU) procurement regulations. Texts for tender invitation, criteria catalogues and other procurement guidelines are developed. Currently, there 100+ such product catalogues for supply, construction and other city services.

Enquiries received show that other public procurers, large industrial enterprises and private households in Austria and Europe, are also interested in the results. The European Union has tasked its Member States to prepare National Action Plans on Sustainable Procurement. With the substantial collaboration of ÖkoKauf Wien", the Action Plan, was prepared within a relatively short time and uses the results of the ÖkoKauf Wien programme, within the EU ten priority areas.

Since its implementation, the ÖkoKauf Wien programme saves an annual amount of approx. 17 million euro of a total procurement volume of 5 billion euros in the city of Vienna. Another calculable parameter is the reduction of about 30,000 tons of Carbon-dioxide per year. These savings reduce the burden on the public budget and on the climate.