Sustainable procurement

We're increasing our commitment to procurement that supports environmental sustainability.

In 2019, we declared a Climate Emergency and committed to a Net Zero by 2035 target for our greenhouse gas emissions. These steps have far-reaching implications for our supply chain and the choices we make in procuring goods and services have a direct impact on our environment.

For example, procurement of goods and services by Council currently accounts for over half of our annual greenhouse gas emissions.

Our Procurement Policy has a mandatory 10% ‘environmental sustainability’ weighting for tenders greater than $150,000 and our staff are encouraged to apply this weighting to all procurement regardless of the procurement value.

Our shift towards sustainable procurement aims to encourage our suppliers to:

  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with the aim of becoming certified Carbon Neutral.
  • Use sustainable or recycled materials and products.
  • Minimise waste to landfill, which is consistent with our commitment to ‘Halve Waste.’
  • Minimise other environmental impacts (e.g., water, biodiversity).
  • Implement sustainability initiatives in the workplace.

Reducing emissions is a key focus of our sustainability journey and engaging with certified carbon neutral suppliers and products is the ultimate goal. Engaging these businesses does not add to our emissions profile, therefore we don’t need pay for carbon offsets.

Sustainable procurement is not just about working with certified carbon neutral businesses. We're also keen to work with suppliers that are moving towards a more environmentally sustainable business model.

There are many initiatives that provide evidence of your commitment to this modelling, including:

  • A Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions target and/or an emissions reduction plan.
  • Purchase of 100% renewable energy or installation of solar PV systems at your workplace.
  • Use of electric vehicles (EVs) or other low emissions vehicles in company fleet.
  • Use of recycled and/or locally sourced materials.
  • Use of products with Environmental Product Declarations. 

We've started including more about environmental sustainability in our tender documents - we're not just raising the bar for ourselves but also hopefully inspiring positive change throughout our supply chain.

Join us in this important venture towards a greener, more sustainable Indigo Shire.

Sustainable procurement is one of many climate actions we're taking at Council and in our community. Discover more about our commitment by visiting our dedicated platform for tracking and reporting on our climate actions, Our Climate Action.

 

 

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