ABSTRACT
Sustainable procurement policy should provide the foundation within which the whole procurement process operates. It should be aligned to the organisation's wider strategy or objectives. For private sector organisations that have adopted International Standards, such as ISO20121, they are required to address their supply chain and will need a sustainable procurement policy. In-house lawyers or other legally trained professionals should be included in the process. There might also be examples where the legal function fails to draw on expertise of other colleagues in developing procurement criteria. UK and European legislation on public procurement has stipulated how environmental and social considerations can be included in the public procurement process. The members of the environmental/sustainability team are vital for providing up to date information about the organisation's key CSR/-sustainability objectives, how the organisation is managing its ethical strategy and to provide up-to-date information about the availability of environmentally preferable goods and services.
