The Minimum Environmental Criteria (in Italian: Criteri Ambientali Minimi – CAM) are environmental standards that have been outlined by Italian Ministerial Decrees to regulate the procurement of Italian public administrations, specifically emphasizing energy and environmental sustainability.
The implementation of these standards drives the widespread use of green technologies and products which are preferable from an environmental standpoint. In addition, this type of impulse is making a significant impact on the market by encouraging companies to invest in innovation and embrace sustainable practices to meet the government’s requirements in terms of responsible procurement.
The objective is not only to reduce environmental impacts but also to promote more sustainable, circular-oriented production and consumption patterns and contribute to the increase of employment in sectors related to sustainable supply chains.
A guide for a sustainable and eco-friendly construction industry
To date, 20 distinct categories of supplies and contracts have been identified under the CAM standards. These categories incorporate items such as interior furnishings, lighting, heating and air conditioning of buildings, public green management services, and the construction industry.
Construction CAMs are applicable to tenders for the contracting of works of design and construction, demolition, renovation, and urban redevelopment, as well as for the replacement, restoration, and maintenance of works, and also for the assignment of routine and extraordinary maintenance projects. The elements identified by a CAM apply to the five distinct stages of the procurement tender process:
- The scope of the procurement process
- The selection of competitors
- The definition of the base technical specifications
- The definition of the premium technical specifications
- The terms and conditions of the contract.
The main focus of a Construction CAM is to guide designers, builders and contractors towards more sustainable building practices, with the goal of reducing the environmental impact of buildings and promoting energy efficiency.
The importance of CAM standards for the reduction of environmental impacts
The Minimum Environmental Criteria are therefore a key vehicle for integrating the environmental perspective into public procurement processes and in the sourcing of goods and services undertaken by public administrations, which also has an important role to play in the promotion of more sustainable and circular models of production and consumption in order to reduce the impact on the environment.
The CAMs of specific importance to the Pittini Group relate to the construction industry: our steel products for this sector are in compliance with the regulatory standards that have been defined.
