In March 2007 the UK government published a Sustainable Procurement Action Plan that commits to using public sector buying power to pursue the goals of the UK Sustainable Development Strategy. By adopting sustainable procurement practices in the public sector, the intention is to set a role model in leadership and delivery for the private sector to follow, adopt and cascade into the wider supply chain.
Around the same time, the NWDA commissioned East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce to undertake the Coordinated Sustainable Procurement for NW Supply Chain scoping study analysing and mapping regional sustainable procurement activity and identifying private sector demand for sustainable procurement support. The study proposed that the NW could and should become a leading regional exemplar of sustainable procurement application across private, public and third sector organisations.
As a result of this report, the Northwest Regional Sustainable Procurement Forum was established, bringing together major public sector budget holders, influencers and practitioners in the region to share good practice and co-ordinate the application of good sustainable procurement practice to support the Northwest becoming a lead region in the application of sustainable procurement. The forum has agreed terms of reference that focus it on achieving these strategic aims.
Dominic Lee
NW Sustainable Procurement Forum Chair
