The Barcelona City Council has the firm commitment to promote social action and respect for the environment through its procurement. Improvement initiatives are part of the program called the Sustainable City Council programme. It aims to (1) contribute in the reduction of CO2 emissions generated by city council buildings and services; (2) make progress in waste prevention and improve selective waste collection in city council buildings; (3) increase water savings in city council buildings and services; (4) green up public works, buildings and projects; (5) respect basic standards of ILO in local authority contracts; (6) promote social and sustainable economy; (7) develop a socially responsible and environmentally correct organisational culture; and (8) develop a communication strategy for the programme.

The programme places the focus on several key products and services for public procurement which include construction projects and wood. For construction projects, criteria for maximum energy self-science must be established, taking into account other aspects as well, such as the promotion of biodiversity or the use of building materials with environmentally positive characteristics. In the case of wood, all timber products must be guaranteed to be sourced from sustainable forestry (FSC, PEFC or equivalent).