VIJAYAWADA: The APCRDA organised a high-level stakeholder consultation at the APCRDA Project Office on Wednesday to discuss the draft Sustainable and Green Public Procurement Guidelines aimed at promoting environmentally responsible and low-carbon infrastructure development in Amaravati. It is being undertaken as part of the World Bank-supported programme.
During the meeting, officials deliberated on integrating environmental sustainability parameters into procurement systems for infrastructure and building projects being implemented in Amaravati. The proposed guidelines aim to align Amaravati’s development vision with India’s national commitment of achieving Net Zero emissions by 2070 by encouraging the adoption of low-carbon materials, energy-efficient construction practices, and climate-resilient infrastructure.
A key aspect of the proposed framework is the transition from the conventional procurement approach based solely on the lowest initial cost to a Life Cycle Costing (LCC) model. Under this approach, procurement decisions will consider overall lifecycle of products, including installation, operation, maintenance, durability, and end-of-life recycling benefits.
The discussions also focused on reducing the carbon footprint associated with high-impact construction materials such as cement, steel, sand, and aggregates. Proposed measures include encouraging the use of recycled and industrial waste materials such as fly ash in construction blocks, prioritising regionally sourced materials to minimise transportation emissions, adopting energy-efficient building materials with improved thermal performance, and promoting the use of Green Pro-certified products to ensure environmental compliance and third-party verification standards.
Officials discussed integrating green construction materials into the State Schedule of Rates (SOR) to facilitate adoption by contractors and project agencies. The consultation meeting was chaired by Gopal Krishna Reddy, Engineer-in-Chief, APCRDA, and coordinated by Sri Sandeep Dixit, Chief Architect and others were present.
