Improving infrastructure – saving of resources as a criterion for the award of public works contracts?

Continous beneficial development is only possible in consideration of the principles of sustainability. This means that the true profitability of a quotation can only be assessed when the aspect of sustainability is included. The legal framework in the EU nowadays means that, in addition to the familiar criteria, determining the most economical quotation for building projects requires that environmental properties, in the sense of sustainability, are also assessed. A financial assessment of the CO2 emissions over the entire life cycle of a building is quite suitable for this purpose. Short-term and medium-term approaches to solutions that implement the political will are indicated.