sustainable procurement - taking your first steps
TRANSCRIPT
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Sustainable Procurement - Taking your first steps
Jimmy Brannigan
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Sustainable Procurement
The workshop will Develop a shared understanding on the issues of
sustainable development Develop an understanding of why sustainable
procurement is important Provide practical guidance on how to take
sustainable procurement forward in your university
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Environment Action Fund Programme Background
Three year project Reducing negative environmental and social impacts
through purchasing Steering group, partners from Further Education and
Higher Education Training
Train the trainer Policy and strategy development Risk based approach to procurement Supplier engagement Social issues in procurement
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What is sustainable development? Sustainable development is difficult to define.
(UK Government 1994)
Sustainable development is a very simple idea ….. (that) is about ensuring a better quality of life for everyone, now and for future generations to come.
(UK Government 1998)
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What is sustainable development? What is Sustainable Development?
Defined by the Brundtland Commission in 1987
“development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”
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What is sustainable development?
Society
EconomyEnvironment
Needs not wants
Systems not straight lines
Doing things differently
Long term not short
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What is sustainable development?
Society
EconomyEnvironment
Reduce the negative and increase the positive
Long term view
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What is Sustainable Procurement?
Definition“Sustainable purchasing is all about taking environmental and social factors into account in purchasing decisions. It’s about looking at what your products are made of, where they come from and who has made them”
HEPS Sustainable Purchasing Guidance – Section 1
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Why is sustainable procurement important?
Natural Resources
Transportation ManufacturingProduct
DistributionConsumers
Environmental Footprint
Impacts and Opportunities (Environment)
Low
Supply Chain
High
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Why is sustainable procurement important?
Natural Resources
Transportation ManufacturingProduct
DistributionConsumers
Environmental Footprint
Current Management Effort (Environment)
Low
Supply Chain
High
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Why is sustainable procurement important?
Natural Resources
Transportation ManufacturingProduct
DistributionConsumers
Environmental Footprint
Mismatch between the two
Low
Supply Chain
High
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Selling Sustainable Procurement?
Reputation
Performance
Licence to Operate
Brand
Sustainable Procurement
Customerrequirements
Stakeholderdemands
Employee expectations
Benchmarking
Legislation &Standards
Impact Reduction(environmental)
Business efficiencies
Risk management
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The Flexible Framework
Time
Foundation
Embed Practice
Enhance
Lead The Flexible Framework
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Implementing a risk based approach In the recent publication ‘Procuring the
Future, Sustainable Procurement National Action Plan: Recommendations from the Sustainable Procurement Task Force’ a risk-based approach is widely promoted.
To determine priorities for the public sector the task force “developed an expenditure prioritisation methodology” which uses “an approach based on risk, scope to do more and procurer influence”.
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Implementing a risk based approach Adopting the priorities identified by the task
force in your university or college can help you achieve the 2009 target.
Of the 174 spend areas identified the following 10 were named as priorities for sustainable procurement activity.
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Implementing a risk based approach1 Construction (building and refit, highways and local roads,
operations and maintenance)2 Health and social work (operating costs of hospitals, care
homes, social care provision)3 Food4 Uniforms, clothing and other textiles5 Waste6 Pulp, paper and printing7 Energy8 Consumables – office machinery and computers9 Furniture10 Transport (business travel and motor vehicles)
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What can we do to make it happen?Sphere of ControlSphere of concern
Sphere of influence
Sphere of control
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How do you use it?
Contract management
Contract management
Tender evaluation
Tender evaluation
Supplier Selection
Supplier Selection
The specification
The specification
What are the impacts?
What are the impacts?
Identifying the need
Identifying the need
A simplified approach
A simplified approach
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Defining the need
“The main possibilities for ‘green purchasing’ are to be found at the start of a public purchase process, namely when making the decision on the subject matter of a contract.” (EU Interpretative Communication, 2001)
the need of the procurement should always be framed within the parameters set by the organisation’s policies
ask: what is the procurement aiming to achieve? do we really need the purchase? do we need it to this specification? what happens to the product at end-of-life? how does this procurement impact upon our (environmental)
objectives and policies?
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Defining the need
purchase a coffee machine or a hot drinks service? purchase a new carpet or lease a floor-covering? purchase new fax machines or software to enable
faxes to be sent and received from desktop computers?
purchase photocopiers or a reprographics service? contracts for waste collection or waste
management?
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Life cycle impacts of an organisation
Suppliers Energy Materials People
Inputs
Operations Information Services Products Wastes
Outputs
Environmental and social impacts
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EU Eco-label product groups
Tissue paper Dishwashers Soil Improvers Bed Mattresses Indoor paints and varnishes Footwear Textile products Personal Computers Laundry Detergents Detergents for dishwashers Copying paper Lightbulbs Portable Computers
Refrigerators Washing machines All purpose cleaners and cleaners
for sanitary facilities Hand dishwashing detergents Televisions Hard floor coverings Vacuum cleaners Tourist accommodation Furniture Tyres Rubbish bags Converted paper products Batteries for consumer goods
Those in italics are under development - see http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/ecolabel
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The specification Under the procurement regulations you can
use eco-label criteria to help determine environmental specifications
Can accept eco-labels as proof of compliance – but other proof must also be accepted
You cannot stipulate that products must have an eco-label certificate
ICLEI guide recommends you always add the words ‘or similar requirements’ and attach the criteria of the relevant eco-label
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Summary
It can be done Build it into your day to day decisions Ask the question Keep talking - there is no right answer!