Decision details

RESOLVED:

1.    That Cabinet approve the Environmentally Sustainable Procurement Policy on behalf of Surrey County Council (SCC).

2.    That Cabinet delegate authority for approving any future changes to the Policy to the Director of Procurement in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources and the Cabinet Member for Environment, to enable the policy to evolve and adapt to local and national developments.

Reasons for Decisions:

This policy aims to improve the environmental considerations built into the core delivery of goods, works and services that the Council procures. Having declared a climate emergency and published both the Climate Change Strategy and Delivery Plan, this policy supports the net zero targets of the Council and embeds environmental sustainability, such as increases to Surrey’s biodiversity and reducing waste, into procurement decisions to lead to a greener future for Surrey and its residents. This policy will prepare prospective suppliers for the environmental considerations and expectations that will be implemented into the Council’s future contracts. On average, SCC spends £890million through its procurement activities across an average of 6,300 vendors per annum; increasing environmental considerations across the Council’s procurement activity presents a significant opportunity to influence a reduction in carbon emissions across the county and within SCC’s own services.

As national policy and technology are rapidly changing, the policy must also be agile. Therefore, it is recommended that delegated authority be given to the Director of Procurement in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources and the Cabinet Member for Environment, to enable the policy to evolve as needed. Review of the policy is expected to take place on an, at least, annual basis once approved or as required following local and national policy directives.

(The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Resources and Performance Select Committee)