Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Environment, Waste, Recycling & Cleansing

RESOLVED

i)          To approve the Sustainable Procurement Charter for implementation (as set out in the appendix to the report), with a formal review after 12 months to take account of feedback from businesses.

ii)         To delegate authority to the Director of Corporate Resources to finalise the Charter and make arrangements for the future monitoring and reporting mechanisms and to make minor amendments to the Sustainable Procurement Charter when required due to changes in policy or legislation. The latter will be in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets.

iii)        To note the process for obtaining carbon data from suppliers delivering high value contracts flows from one of the commitments in the Charter.

REASON

A Sustainable Procurement Charter ensures all of the Council’s priorities relating to its environmental and socio-economic ambitions, along with compliance with procurement best practice and legislation are stated in one document, with a proportionate and transparent approach to the commitments required of suppliers.

Councillor Philip Circus, Cabinet Member for Environment, Waste, Recycling & Cleansing, introduced the Sustainable Procurement Charter, which would support the Council’s journey towards becoming a carbon neutral organisation for its indirect emissions. The Charter would commit businesses, as part of the procurement process, to demonstrating practical action to reduce emissions. 

He advised of the importance of achieving a balance so that the Charter would not be unduly onerous for businesses.  There is therefore an exemption for contracts for goods up to £50k and for works up to £100k, where the Charter could be adhered to but not as a formal obligation. 

The Charter would be reviewed in 12 months to ensure its effectiveness in supporting the Council’s environmental objectives, and that the Charter is not causing any undue problems for businesses.  

The original draft had a requirement for companies to use their ‘best efforts’; this had been changed to ‘reasonable efforts’, as was common practice in commercial practice.  It was noted that the reference to ‘best efforts’ in the executive summary of the report should have read ‘reasonable efforts’. 

RESOLVED

i)          To approve the Sustainable Procurement Charter for implementation (as set out in the appendix to the report), with a formal review after 12 months to take account of feedback from businesses.

ii)         To delegate authority to the Director of Corporate Resources to finalise the Charter and make arrangements for the future monitoring and reporting mechanisms and to make minor amendments to the Sustainable Procurement Charter when required due to changes in policy or legislation. The latter will be in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets.

iii)        To note the process for obtaining carbon data from suppliers delivering high value contracts flows from one of the commitments in the Charter.

REASON

A Sustainable Procurement Charter ensures all of the Council’s priorities relating to its environmental and socio-economic ambitions, along with compliance with procurement best practice and legislation are stated in one document, with a proportionate and transparent approach to the commitments required of suppliers.