Clear criteria – the key to sustainable procurement

Part 4 of the article series “Inside the Criteria Council”

How can an ecolabel actually influence real decisions in projects? For Pia Lahdenperä, interior architect at Svenska Kraftnät and newly appointed member of the Criteria Council for Hållbar Interiör (HI), the answer is clear: Through concrete criteria that can be applied in practice – from procurement to management.

“We need requirements that are clear, possible to follow up on – and that actually make a difference. Otherwise, sustainability work risks getting stuck in fine words without real effect.” – Pia Lahdenperä, Interior Architect, Svenska Kraftnät

A winning concept at Svenska Kraftnät has been having an interior architect in-house. In her role, Pia Lahdenperä has been able to act as a qualified requirement-setter throughout the entire process – from procurement to implementation and management. This has provided continuity in sustainability efforts and created the conditions to set the right requirements at the right time. Having architectural competence in-house also makes it easier to have a qualified dialogue with external consultants and to ensure that sustainability ambitions are actually carried out in practice.

A new tool for the public sector

Svenska Kraftnät is one of the first public actors in Sweden to systematically begin using HI criteria in its work with premises. In the spring of 2025, they carried out a major consultancy procurement where competence in Hållbar Interiör was, for the first time, an explicit requirement.

– We chose to work with fixed hourly rates to raise the quality of the procurement, Pia explains. That made it even more important to place high demands on content: competence in sustainability, design, and innovation.

In addition to established systems such as LEED, BREEAM and Miljöbyggnad, HI labelling was also highlighted, as it focuses on the tenant’s responsibility for interiors, reuse, and management.

A framework that connects goals and reality

For public clients with ambitious environmental goals, it is often a challenge to translate visions into concrete practice. Pia describes the HI criteria document as a tool that makes that process clearer.

– It helps us understand what we should demand. From site selection to design and delivery, we can use the criteria as support. It creates predictability in our processes and a common ground between clients and consultants.

She also emphasizes the importance of long-term perspective. Labelling a premise is not the endpoint, but the start of structured management.

“It is essential to have follow-up even after move-in. What happens with the premises and the furniture over time? HI gives us direction and a way to monitor and improve.”

Bringing the client’s perspective into the Criteria Council

As a member of the Criteria Council, Pia sees her role as a bridge between governance and practice. She wants to contribute to further developing the HI criteria based on the needs within the public sector and to show that it is possible to work strategically with sustainable interiors, even in complex organizations.

– Many government agencies have sustainability policy documents. But how do you actually do this in practice? That’s where HI can make a difference. It provides a language and a structure to work with.

She also sees greater potential ahead:
“The public sector accounts for a significant share of Sweden’s premises. If we collaborate and share experiences, we can together become a strong driving force for change.”

Next article: From property to finished environment
In the next article, we return to the physical spaces of projects. There we meet Tracy Makaraba, environmental coordinator at JLL, who explains how environmental goals and interior design choices are connected – and why property owners should consider sustainable interiors already from the design stage.