27Sustainable procurement policies, procedures and tools
Progress
On time
- Not started
- Planning
- Implementation
- Continuous
OBJECTIVE
IMPACT
HighIn our 2019/20 baseline year, procurement contributed 54% of Council's total emissions (Scope 3, upstream). To achieve Net Zero by 2035 we need to strengthen our sustainable procurement policies, procedures and practices.
Description
Council's Procurement Policy (updated in Dec 2021) includes a mandatory 10% environmental sustainability weighting for tenders over $150,000.
In October 2021, a Sustainable Procurement Working Group was established with the aim of driving sustainability improvements to Council's procurement, through building awareness, knowledge and capacity of staff to integrate sustainable procurement principles into our work.
Tasks
What's left to do?
- 30/04/2024
Produce a staff 'sustainability checklist' for project scoping
- 30/06/2024
Communicate to suppliers about Council's Sustainable Procurement ambitions
This is an initiative of the Sustainable Procurement Working Group, and will involve targeted communications to our suppliers outlining Council's Net Zero and Halve Waste goals, and what that means for Council's procurement.
Communication will be via Council's various channels, and in particular our eProcure contract management platform.
- 30/06/2024
Produce a staff 'cheat sheet' to quickly assess the environmental sustainability credentials of tenders
An initiative of the Sustainable Procurement Working Group, this is a quick reference for staff to assess environmental sustainability credentials of tenderers, addressing the key themes from Council's Environment Strategy (2019).
- 31/12/2025
Review and update Council's Procurement Policy
Review and update of Council's Procurement Policy to further strengthen requirements around environmental sustainability and social elements of our procurement. Includes a 10% weighting for 'Environmental Sustainability', mandated for tenders above $150,000, and encouraged for contracts below that dollar value.
- 30/06/2035
Conduct monthly Sustainable Procurement Working Group meetings
The Sustainable Procurement Working Group:
- Meets on a monthly basis to progress agenda.
- Develops and improves Council's procurement processes and tools.
- Engages with and educates Council staff, and recruits new staff members to the Working Group.
- Engages with and educates suppliers on Council's sustainable procurement goals.
- Highlights sustainable procurement successes and identifies areas for improvement.
What has been done?
- 31/12/2021
Review and update Council's Procurement Policy
Review and update of Council's Procurement Policy to strengthen detail around Environmental Sustainability and Social elements of procurement. This includes a 10% weighting for 'Environmental Sustainability', mandated for tenders above $150,000.
- 01/10/2021
Establish a Sustainable Procurement Working Group
The Environment & Sustainability team established an informal Sustainable Procurement Working Group with representation across business units, primarily to address the Scope 3 emissions produced by our contracted goods and services, but also discuss broader environmental sustainability implications of our procurement.
Indicators
Summary and contacts
Timeline
Continuous → 30/06/2035
Target audience
Responsible organisations
- CORPORATE SERVICES & PLANNINGOversees Council's Procurement Policy.
- Environment & SustainabilityLeads Council's 'Sustainable Procurement Working Group'.
- Economic Development & InvestmentSupports Indigo's business community.
- Capital Works & WasteMajor stakeholder in procurement of goods and services.
- Assets & PropertyMajor stakeholder in procurement of good and services.
Emissions Scope
Indicative costs
Cost of wages
Indicative savings
Savings (or reduced costs of environmental price premiums) will occur with increased demand brought about by government purchasing.
Information updated 14/03/2024
This is a detailed checklist that helps staff take a deeper look at the environmental sustainability implications and opportunities of proposed projects.
The checklist addresses the key themes in Council's Environment Strategy (2019) including: