Switch please! Paths to social and sustainable public procurement of e-mobility

The predicted growth rates of the electromobility sector in general and the expected volume of public investment in e-mobility are enormous. However, the rapidly increasing demand for batteries for e-mobility is also accompanied by an intensification of human rights and environmental problems, particularly in the extraction of the required raw materials. In addition, there are a wide range of human rights risks in the automotive industry in general.

This brochure is dedicated to the question of how public procurement agencies can address these diverse problems and what approaches for socially responsible and sustainable procurement of e-mobility can look like. The conversion of the public vehicle fleet to electric drives is urgently needed from a climate policy perspective. However, as a major purchaser, the public sector should try to use its leverage to demand that manufacturers also comply with social and ecological criteria, thereby contributing to the long-term improvement of production conditions.