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Cited by 19Public Procurement and PolicyPublic-Private Partnership ProjectsCorporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability

Sustainable Public Procurement and Human Rights: Barriers to Deliver on Socially Sustainable Road Infrastructure Projects in Mexico

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Treviño-Lozano, Laura·2021·Sustainability
DOI 10.3390/su13179605
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Abstract

Public procurement involves a process through which the public sector buys goods, services and works from private suppliers to accomplish its functions, including road infrastructure projects. Sustainability, both within the procurement process and the infrastructure outcome, comprises economic, environmental and social dimensions. Sustainable Public Procurement (SPP) is acknowledged as a core dimension of sustainable development goal 12 (SDG12) on sustainable consumption by States and production by businesses, and as a State-business nexus within Pilar I of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). Clearly, SPP delivering sustainable infrastructure involves broad positive effects and benefits for involved stakeholders and leveraging power over business suppliers to include social sustainable criteria within the procurement process is in the State’s hands. However, SPP has been little implemented in developing States such as Mexico resulting in unsustainable infrastructure outcomes. This article explores, through two case studies, the barriers of socially sustainable public procurement of road infrastructure developed by businesses contracted by the State in Mexico. By identifying such barriers, the Mexican State could be able to implement measures to tackle them and deliver on social sustainable infrastructure aligned with its commitments on sustainable development goals and its international obligations on human rights.

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  • Effective implementation of GPP is impeded by the absence of a legal framework on GPPs.

    “One key barrier is the absence of a legal framework on GPPs (Treviño-Lozano, 2021), which hinders the establishment of clear guidelines and regulations for integrating environmental and”

    From Green public procurement as an effective way for sustainable development: A systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis (2025) · cites this paper as Treviño-Lozano, 2021

    Section 3.1 says absent or inadequate procurement laws and policies hinder socially sustainable infrastructure. The paper focuses on social and human-rights criteria, however, and does not establish that the absence of a legal framework specifically impedes green public procurement (GPP) or the integration of environmental criteria. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • There is a lack of clarity in relation to the enforcement of policies and laws, and political opposition and corruption can hinder GPP adoption.

    “There is a lack of clarity in relation to the enforcement of policies and laws, and political opposition and corruption can hinder GPP adoption (Treviño-Lozano, 2021).”

    From Green public procurement as an effective way for sustainable development: A systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis (2025) · cites this paper as Treviño-Lozano, 2021

    Sections 3.1 and 3.2 identify unclear or unenforced procurement policies, political opposition, and corruption as barriers. The paper addresses socially sustainable public procurement and road infrastructure, however, rather than specifically establishing these as barriers to green public procurement (GPP) adoption. Page numbers are not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Political opposition and corruption is a barrier to GPP.

    “Political opposition and corruption Treviño-Lozano (2021)”

    From Green public procurement as an effective way for sustainable development: A systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis (2025) · cites this paper as Treviño-Lozano (2021)

    Sections 3.2 and 5.2 identify political opposition and corruption as barriers to socially sustainable infrastructure procurement, including in the Paso-Expres project. The cited passages do not specifically establish them as barriers to green public procurement (GPP), which is a different focus. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Financial constraints is a barrier to GPP.

    “Financial constraints Brammer and Walker (2011); Treviño-Lozano (2021)”

    From Green public procurement as an effective way for sustainable development: A systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis (2025) · cites this paper as Treviño-Lozano (2021)

    Section 3.3 says limited public budgets and funding are barriers to sustainable infrastructure. The paper addresses sustainable public procurement broadly, with a focus on social sustainability; the cited passages do not establish the barrier specifically for green public procurement (GPP). (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Lack of a legal framework on sustainable procurement is a barrier to GPP.

    “Lack of a legal framework on sustainable procurement Treviño-Lozano (2021)”

    From Green public procurement as an effective way for sustainable development: A systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis (2025) · cites this paper as Treviño-Lozano (2021)

    Section 3.1 says absent procurement laws and policies hinder the inclusion of social and human-rights criteria in infrastructure procurement. The claim applies that finding to green public procurement (GPP), but the passage addresses socially sustainable procurement rather than a specific barrier to GPP. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Authors
Treviño-Lozano, L.
Affiliations
Universidad Panamericana, campus Ciudad de México (MX)
Corresponding author
Treviño-Lozano, Laura
ORCID
Treviño-Lozano, Laura
Venue
Sustainability
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2021-08-26
Volume
13
Issue
17
Pages
9605
ISSN
2071-1050 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/su13179605
OpenAlex
W3195181079
Cited by
19
References
52
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3
FWCI
2.23
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Sustainability (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Public Procurement and Policy
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Public-Private Partnership Projects
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability
Keywords
sustainable public procurement, human rights, road infrastructure, procurement barriers, UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, SDG 12, Sustainable Development Goals, infrastructure contracting, Mexico

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