Approaches
to sustainable procurement - Christchurch City Council
Sustainable supply chain policy
Energy efficiency and sustainability assessment
Target Zero green office guide
Project specific sustainability workshops
Corporate environmental policy
Christchurch City Council has an overarching Corporate Environmental Policy that makes the following direct links to procurement:
"Purchasing
The council will implement, where appropriate, practical and cost effective a "Buy Recycled" policy as part of an overall purchasing strategy. This includes the choice of environmentally sound manufacturers and that utilises to the maximum extent practicable, New Zealand manufactured, reusable products, products made with recycled materials, products designed to be recycled and products with minimal or returnable packaging.Contracts
Contract documents for the design, supervision and maintenance of works and services will incorporate requirements for the protection of the environment. Organisations that seek to supply the council with goods, works and services will be made aware of council's environmental policy to enable them to develop and promote their own environmental initiatives.Conservation of Energy
The council will follow energy strategies that minimise energy consumption, select sustainable energy supplies, and minimise impacts on the environment.Plant and Vehicles
The council shall use vehicles and plant in ways that minimise emissions to the air and, where the costs are similar to current vehicles, shall operate vehicles with alternative methods of propulsion."
The policy also outlines a number of environmental goals that should direct all decision-making, including procurement, such as conserving water and reducing waste.
Sustainable supply chain policy
In December 2003 council adopted a Sustainable Supply Chain Policy, which defines eight categories under which council may request information from potential suppliers. These categories are:
- Energy Efficiency
- Good Employer Practices
- Eco Efficiency
- Hazardous Substances
- Health and Safety
- Local Suppliers
- Accountability
- Governance.
For each category the policy outlines council's preference, reason for the preference and examples that would show compliance to the preference.
The policy was developed in partnership with other pilot organisations of Redesigning Resources, a group of eight organisations that have committed to embedding sustainability into business practice. The policy is included in the pro forma Request for Proposal (RFP) document and this ensures that when contracts expire and are re-released that they include the policy statement.
The policy states that "respondents who can demonstrate compliance with the preferences in their response to this RFP may have an advantage".
For procurement of products on an on-going basis, council has developed a list of product categories and these are being addressed in a systematic manner. Part of the procurement strategy is determining specific markets and associated issues, such as print service supplies.
Council's implementation of the Sustainable Supply Chain Policy is expected to promote improved sustainability across many suppliers in the City. Council will work with suppliers that may not currently be of an adequate standard, but are looking to improve their operations to become a council supplier.
Although council does not have a stated price premium policy, it is general practice that a small premium is allowable for environmentally preferable purchases.
The Sustainable Supply is included in full below:
4. SUPPLY CHAIN SUSTAINABILITY
4.1 As part of its commitment to the environment the Council has adopted a comprehensive Supply Chain Sustainability Policy. The Council will seek to give preference where that is practical and affordable, and can be appropriately assessed, to suppliers or contractors who can show that they are actively working towards the preferences set out in the Council's Supply Chain Sustainability Policy.
4.2 Respondents who can demonstrate compliance with the below listed preferences in their response to this RFP may have an advantage.
| Preference | Examples | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Efficiency | Enterprises that have active energy efficiency programmes which minimises the use of non-renewable fuels |
|
| Good Employer Practices | Enterprises that exhibit good employer practices |
|
| Eco-efficiency | Products and production procedures that maximise eco-efficiency |
|
| Hazardous Substances | Products that minimise use of hazardous substances |
|
| Health and Safety | Enterprises that have active commitment to health and safety, with investment in physical and mental well being, injury prevention and rehabilitation |
|
| Local Suppliers | Sourcing products and services that are created by local suppliers | |
| Accountability | Ethical enterprises that transparently report social, environmental and economic impacts and performance |
|
Energy efficiency and sustainability assessment
In 1996, council passed a resolution that "for new projects and major retrofits with a significant energy component an Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Assessment must be carried out". This process was expanded in 1999 to mandate that "passive solar design and solar water heating be included in the Council's Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Assessment procedure".
Each project is assessed by council's Energy Manager who was employed specifically to complete the assessments. The intention of the process is to identify best practice and focus on areas of opportunity for benefits and savings. The assessment, for example, would generally include a comparative analysis of various energy sources for the new facility with respect to their impact on the environment, including greenhouse gas emissions.
Council has decided not to use a process of developing checklists or guidance documents for the assessment as they believe this allows the Energy Manager the flexibility to review and suggest the components of the project that they believe to be most appropriate.
Print purchasing guidelines
Print Purchasing Guidelines were developed by council's Target Zero (Business Sustainability) group to provide information to assist both council staff and Christchurch businesses to make more environmentally preferable decisions regarding both the printing process, and printed material. The guidelines are presented as an information manual of the environmental impacts of printing and explain options for improving these impacts.
The guidelines identify ways to make a more environmentally preferable choice for all aspects of printing relating to in-house and external printing jobs. The guidelines follow the print purchasing process from the decision-making stage, through to design, production, and finally distribution. A checklist is also provided that outlines the different paper specifications, their environmental impacts, and the paper supplier.
As a large print purchaser Christchurch City Council identified that it could stimulate the market for environmentally preferable printing processes and products and encourage improved environmental performance within the lithographic printing industry. Council has preferred printers who they work with to ensure environmentally sustainability.
Policy resolutions
Policy resolutions that have been adopted in relation to procurement include:
"Our policy is to favour suppliers who incorporate supplies which are recycled or include recycled components in their supplies (which is not always possible)"
"The Council will follow energy strategies which minimise energy consumption, select sustainable energy supplies and minimise impacts on the environment" (1997).
Target zero
Target Zero is a Christchurch City Council initiative that helps Christchurch businesses to move towards sustainability by improving resource efficiency, minimising waste and reducing the risk of harming the environment. The aim of Target Zero is to help develop innovative, profitable and accountable businesses that integrate sustainable economic, social and environmental values into their thinking, decision-making and behaviour in Christchurch City.
Target Zero has developed Greening your Workplace - a User's Guide. This guide contains a section on green procurement, including some general tips and then specific product related information. For further information visit the Target Zero web site.
Project specific sustainability workshops
Christchurch City Council adopted the Natural Step as a framework for sustainability in 1999. Subsequently the "Natural + People + Economic Steps" framework has been used in a workshop format on a small number of projects, to help project control groups develop an improved understanding of how their project could contribute to improved sustainability of the city. This includes improvements through procurement.
