FinTech and green public procurement (GPP) in Europe: driving sustainability forward
摘要
The paper investigates the role of financial technologies (FinTech) in advancing green public procurement (GPP) across 33 European countries—including the 27 EU member states—over 2011, 2014, 2017, and 2021. Utilizing logistic regression, linear probability models, OLS, and negative binomial regressions, the analysis assesses how FinTech adoption influences both the likelihood of applying green criteria in public tenders and key GPP outcomes such as competition and pricing. Drawing on contract-level data from the European Union’s Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) database, which provides comprehensive information on public procurement across EU countries, the findings demonstrate a strong positive relationship between FinTech adoption and GPP performance: countries with higher FinTech penetration show significantly greater use of green criteria, more competitive bidding, and lower procurement costs. Robustness checks using alternative FinTech measures validate the consistency of these results. The study contributes to the literature by conceptualizing FinTech as a macro-level determinant of GPP—an area largely overlooked in prior research—by applying a multimethod econometric framework with multiple FinTech indicators and by linking procurement practices to environmental sustainability outcomes. Beyond Europe, the mechanisms identified generate a multiplier effect, offering globally transferable lessons for procurement reform and policy design.