Public Housing Works and the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda

A Perspective on Tenders in the State of São Paulo

Abstract

Objective – To identify the adherence of requirements and clauses in public housing works bidding notices in the State of São Paulo to environmental criteria, with an emphasis on national regulations.

Methodology – The study adopts a qualitative and quantitative descriptive approach. To gather the bidding notices, databases from the Official Press of the State of São Paulo and, subsidiarily, the São Paulo State Housing and Urban Development Company (CDHU) were used. The documentary research employed the content analysis method, according to Bardin (2016), using the Atlas.ti software to identify, code, and categorize the Recording Units (UR) and Context Units (UC). Categorization was conducted by levels of requirements, allowing comparisons with other studies on Green Public Procurement (GPP) based on the criteria proposed by the European Commission.

Originality/Relevance – The study assists in identifying opportunities to improve the implementation of environmental criteria in public housing works bidding processes, promoting sustainability in civil construction and aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals by contributing to more sustainable and resilient cities.

Results – The analysis of the bidding notices revealed low adherence of clauses and requirements to environmental criteria, with a predominance of generic requirements or the absence of specific criteria, focusing mainly on material characterization rather than broader construction processes. Adherence percentages were as follows: 41.51% at requirement level 0 (absence of criteria), 22.22% at level 1 (generic criteria), 36.27% at level 2 (main criteria), and 0% at level 3 (comprehensive criteria). It was observed that Brazilian regulations focus on object characteristics, while European guidelines are broader, emphasizing labels and certifications, also highlighting the need for a global indicator to assess the effectiveness of Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP).

Theoretical/Methodological Contributions – Application of Bardin's (2016) content analysis to assess the adherence of public housing works bidding notices to environmental criteria, using the Atlas.ti software for coding and categorization, and comparing them with national regulations and European Union guidelines.

Social and Environmental Contributions – The results of the study reinforce the need to include broader national environmental criteria, such as those already practiced in tenders held in European Union countries, considering the life cycle of materials and the requirement for eco-labeling. This study contributes to understanding the implementation of public sustainability policies in the Brazilian construction sector, highlighting the need to improve legislation and bidding practices.