Sustainable Procurement

The UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy (the Strategy), published in March 2005, committed the public sector to leading by example in delivering sustainable development objectives. The public sector has a key role in furthering sustainable development through its procurement of buildings, goods and services. The Strategy established a business-led Sustainable Procurement Task Force to bring about a step-change in public sector procurement practice, such that by 2009, the UK is recognised as amongst the leaders in sustainable procurement across EU member states.

The Strategy defines sustainable development in broad social, environmental and economic terms. The term sustainable procurement therefore encompasses all issues where procurement is seen as having a role in delivering economic, social and environmental policy objectives.

OGC is fully engaged with the work of the Sustainable Procurement Task Force as it develops the national action plan. OGC is also represented on DEFRA's Sustainable Operations Board.

OGC has been clear that sustainable procurement and efficiency should be mutually reinforcing. Our Statement on Efficiency and Sustainable Procurement .

Ensuring that the public sector's contractors are appropriately skilled will contribute to the public sector's value for money and efficiency targets.

DfES leads on the basic skills agenda and have produced guidance (with support from OGC) for all government departments on how basic literacy, language and numeracy skills can be taken into account in their procurement process within the framework of the Government's procurement policy and the EU rules.

OGC is also working with the Department for Trade and Industry and Department for Education and Skills to analyse the scope for using government procurement to drive up skills.