Sustainable Procurement

What is it?

Sustainable procurement isn't just a question of choosing the most environmentally friendly products. It is about achieving the best possible value for money over the long term and should include economic and social, as well as environmental, considerations.

In June 2006, the government published 'The National Action Plan: Procuring the Future'. It aims to deliver sustainable procurement, to stimulate innovation through public procurement and to complement and build on existing activity on the subject. It clearly explains how public spending can be used to combat climate change as well as promoting social progress.

For more detailed information, please refer to the Plain English Guide to Sustainable Construction

Why is it important?

One of the key barriers to more sustainable procurement is the belief that it will always cost more. However, this is certainly not always true. In many cases costs can actually be cut by reducing waste, increasing resource eficiency and promoting innovative new products.

What are we doing about it?

Constructing Excellence is currently undertaking work with the Manufacturing Sustainable Communities Programme to look into the Barriers To Sustainable Procurement in the Construction Industry. The project summary and final report are available here.

In addition, Constructing Excellence held an event on Sustainable Procurement following industry demand for further information on this topic. The event details and presentations can be downloaded from the Members section/Events part of this website.

There are a number of guides developed by industry bodies and government to assist the construction industry to improve its sustainable procurement performance.

• The Green Guide to Specification, developed by BRE, gives environmental rankings to individual products based on Life Cycle Assessment.
• Green Spec is an alternative construction industry guide to ‘green’ building design, products, speciication and construction, containing information on how to design more energy and resource efficient buildings, using materials and technologies that minimise damage to people and the environment.
• WRAP Recycled Content Guide is an online, downloadable recycled content guide which helps source construction products with recycled content.
• Achieving Excellence in Construction Procurement Guide - No. 11: Sustainability (OGC) highlights the importance of sustainable development setting out the ways in which the public sector can procure and deliver construction projects that promote sustainable development as was delivering value for money.

Where to go next?

Barriers to Sustainable Procurement - CE & MSC report
The Green Guide to Specification
Greenspec
WRAP Recycled Content Guide
Achieving Excellence in Construction Procurement Guide - No. 11: Sustainability

Related information:

The Plain English Guide to Sustainable Construction