Not-so-unique s.p.

Spreading the message on the why - and the how - of sustainable procurement A term to conjure with: ‘sustainable procurement’. It’s not poetry, but it is potent, as the government has realised. By paying close attention to the environmental and social impact of what it buys, how, and from whom, it can have a huge impact - its own purchases of goods and services add up to £13 billion a year, and the overall value of public sector contracts is nearly 10 times that. The resolve to use this as a lever for change looms large in the recently launched strategy for delivering sustainable development, Securing the future. There’ll be a lot riding on the recommendations due next year from a business-led task force, chaired by Sir Neville Simms, the former head of construction company Carillion. Businesses will no doubt be pricking up their ears to the sales opportunities here - but they’ll also be expected to follow the government’s example as buyers, and look to the impact of their own supply chain. Developing their own sustainable procurement programmes won’t just put them on the side of the angels - it can help raise purchasing standards, boost efficiency and bring a range of performance benefits. But companies who are just starting out down this road may need some practical training. As a crash course on skills, tools and techniques to use in the purchasing process, recycling experts London Remade are running a new series of training days in partnership with Business in the Community (BitC), the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply and the University of Manchester. - Roger East

25 June 2005

Roger East