Public Procurement and Property

Tackling the Global Climate Emergency through procurement

December 17, 2021 by Niamh Duncan No Comments | Category Climate and Procurement Forum, climate change, Procurement news

Since 2019, the National Climate and Procurement Forum has been working collaboratively to address the Climate Emergency through public sector procurement. The forum is underpinned by five work streams that draw on the extensive knowledge and experience of public sector, business and climate experts from across Scotland.

Here’s a look at what they’ve been working on in 2021:

• Strategy and Objectives – Providing high level messaging and maintain consistency with developing existing policy and legislation.
  Their outputs this year include promotion of SPPN 1/2021: Taking account of circular economy considerations in public procurement, a Ministerial Call to Action on climate change, and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders on the Forum’s activities.

• People and Capability – Ensuring that training, guidance and other resources are available to support procurement professionals in embedding climate into procurements.
  In 2021 this work stream developed, tested and launched the Climate Literacy e-Learning, which has now been completed by over 750 individuals from across 62 organisations.

• Operational Procurement – Supporting public bodies by making practical tools and guidance available to reduce climate impacts across relevant categories and commodities.
  This work stream also produced From Now to 2030 templates and supporting guidance, and disseminated these across the public sector.

• Monitoring and Reporting – Delivering practical information on monitoring and reporting.
  The work stream identified climate hotspots through methods such as the prioritisation tool, and is identifying ways of improving the monitoring and reporting emissions in these areas. This work stream has also focused on streamlining climate and procurement reporting, contributing to the guidance document Public Sector Leadership on the Global Climate Emergency, which was released in October.

• Supplier and Market Engagement – This work stream’s membership includes supplier and third sector representatives.
  In 2021 this work stream has developed guidance around a staged approach to embedding climate at the selection stage of procurements. This guidance is currently in circulation with stakeholders for feedback, and will be released in 2022.

In addition to this work, the Forum are bolstering existing content on the Sustainable Procurement Tools Platform, and plan to release refreshed climate guidance, new video guides and a new case studies section soon. Watch this space!

Further information

Sector representatives will continue to communicate the work of the Forum and provide updates. If you would like more information about this work, including the sustainable procurement tools, please contact us at scottishprocurement@gov.scot

For further information on public procurement in Scotland please visit gov.scot/procurement

Follow us online:

Tags: climate change, environmental benefits, policy note, procurement, Public procurement, public sector, public sector procurement, Scottish Government procurement, Scottish Procurement, Scottish public sector, Sustainability, sustainable procurement, Sustainable Procurement Duty tools

Comments