The main goal of this Guidance Note is to facilitate the implementation of sustainable procurement of health care commodities and services by providing criteria that may be used by UN staff for the requisition and procurement of health products and services. The first step is to think critically about the true needs of the client and those of the suppliers. Purchasing decisions (for products, services and works) should be based on the lowest environmental impact, the most positive social impact and which make the most economic sense over the lifetime of the product. Therefore, the guidelines cover the following aspects: key environmental impacts, key social considerations, most appropriate means of verification and information on the availability of sustainable products and lifetime costs (where available). Local product availability, prices, costs, and relevant legislation may vary considerably between regions. Therefore, sustainable health procurement should be practiced and adapted to local conditions and markets and in considerations of how ambitious the purchasing organization is regarding sustainable development.