What is sustainable procurement?
Sustainable procurement is an approach to buying products and services that takes into account the economic, environmental and social impacts of what you buy. Looking for Carbon is about supporting action on climate change and therefore this guide focuses on the environmental impacts of procurement and particularly reducing carbon emissions in the supply chain. The aim is to explore how sustainability considerations complement other key business criteria such as cost, value-for-money and stakeholder preference.
Sustainable procurement means looking at the impacts of the product or service on the environment over its entire lifecycle from creation to disposal. Taking paper as an example, you would assess whether the paper is made from virgin pulp or a form of recycled product, whether it is from a sustainable source, the production process, how it is packaged, how it is delivered to you and whether you can recycle it.
The benefits
Taking sustainability into consideration in purchasing decisions is not merely about being seen to be green, there are many potential business benefits. Recent CIPD research reveals that more than 50 percent of people would prefer to work for a company with a strong environmental policy and clients are increasingly asking their legal advisers to demonstrate their green credentials. Being ahead of the game can give firms competitive advantage, but equally, as more firms build environmental considerations into the procurement process it will drive suppliers to develop more, better and cheaper low-carbon products and services. So it really is a win-win situation.
Business case | Example |
|---|---|
| Reduced exposure to reputation risk | Strengthened brand, enhanced community relationships, etc |
| Competitive advantage | Both public and private sector clients assess law firms on environmental credentials |
| Cost savings | Lower consumption of energy and other resources |
| Attract and retain talent | Employees are increasingly concerned with firms' environmental credentials |
| Anticipating legal obligation | Being ahead of the game on legislative requirements to reduce carbon consumption |
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