International Initiatives and Guidance

These organizations from around the world provide guidance and resources on implementing best practice sustainable procurement within public and private organizations. There is a wealth of information within each of these sources—if you are looking for advice or information on something specific, contact us for assistance.
 
BS8903:2010 Principles and Framework for Procuring Sustainably
The British Standard establishes best practice for sustainable procurement and provides a practical model for embedding sustainability into organisational policy, procurement process, and developing enablers.
 
Procura+
A European campaign led by ICLEI to support government agencies in implementing sustainable procurement practices. It also provides the Procura+ Manual with detailed guidance.
 
Sustainable Procurement Resource Centre
A sharing platform for information and examples of sustainable procurement for European public authorities.
 
London 2012 Sustainable Sourcing Code
Establishes how procurement for the 2012 Olympics would address sustainability, including vision and objectives under four principles: responsible sourcing, use of secondary materials, minimising embodied impacts, and healthy materials.
 
European Commission Green Public Procurement (GPP) Toolkit
Offers three modules; an overview of GPP, legal considerations, and practical implementation through purchasing criteria. The website also provides a number of case studies from public authorities across Europe.
 
US EPA Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP)
A resource for US government agencies to meet green purchasing requirements by providing tools, calculators, case studies, training modules and example tender documents.
 
Responsible Purchasing Network
An US-based network of buyers dedicated to socially responsible and environmentally sustainable purchasing. The website provides purchasing criteria, webinars, and other resources.
 
Sustainable Procurement Task Force
A group of businesses charged by the UK Government to review the government’s purchasing. They delivered a report on sustainable procurement and recommendations for government implementation, and subsequently developed the outcomes into a Flexible Framework for best practice and a purchasing category Prioritisation Tool.
 
UN Global Compact Sustainable Supply Chains
Information about supply chain sustainability: initiatives, programmes, codes, standards and networks; resources and tools; and case examples of company practices.
 
International Green Purchasing Network
Based in Japan, this group promotes green purchasing and provides information on guidelines and criteria from around the world.
 
Australian Procurement and Construction Council (APCC)
Produced the Australian and New Zealand Government Framework for Sustainable Procurement that established the ANZ context and principles for implementing sustainable public procurement.
 
The Marrakech Process
A global cooperation through UNEP to support the implementation of a 10-Year Framework of Programs for sustainable consumption and production. Part of their focus is Sustainable Public Procurement.
 
The Swedish Environmental Management Council (SEMCo)
The Swedish government's expert body on environmental and other sustainable procurement providing information on: SEMCo's product-specific criteria for sustainable procurement, the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) and Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).
 
Sustainable Public Procurement Knowledge Management Centre
Established by UNEP, it is a source of information for procurement practitioners through information platforms, presentations, brochures and other publications translated into a variety of languages.
 
Universities:
 
Sustainable Procurement Centre of Excellence for Higher Education
Targets the university sector and links to a number of publicly available resources, including example policies, incorporating social considerations, contract management, and whole life costing.
 
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
Provides resources for campuses seeking to use their purchasing power to help build a sustainable economy.
 
The Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC)
Tools & resources providing practical advice and information on how to make the business case for sustainable procurement in your college or university, what the risks are and how a green team could help the process.




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