Sustainable procurement projects in the Norwegian defence sector – an empirical study

The new long-term plan for the Norwegian defence sector sets the stage for a historic increase in defence spending, which includes significant investments in both military equipment and property, buildings, and construction projects. According to the plan, the defence sector should align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals by incorporating sustainability considerations into investment projects. However, there is limited knowledge on how organizations can best incorporate sustainability into projects. This is especially true for defence projects. This study aims to map the current state of investment activities and contribute to a collective understanding of how the defence sector can ensure adequate sustainability considerations in its projects.The study is based on semi-structured interviews with respondents from the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, the Norwegian Armed Forces, the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency, the Norwegian Defence Estates Agency, the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, and the Norwegian defence industry. The results of our study indicate that the incorporation of sustainability considerations in defence investments is characterized by a lack of top-down involvement and insufficient incentives to prioritize the lifecycle perspective in investment decisions. Additionally, the financial leeway is perceived as inadequate for prioritizing sustainability in projects. We also identify challenges in evaluating the impact of sustainability measures – both in the selection of measures and in the subsequent assessment of their effectiveness. Based on our findings and previous research, we recommend: • The work on sustainability becomes more top-down driven. • Sustainability plays a real role in early-stage decision making. • Assessment and evaluation of sustainability measures should be facilitated. We believe these recommendations are crucial for the defence sector to address sustainability in its investment processes and practices moving forward. Our report also highlights areas in which further research is needed.