Principles
- For procurement, sustainability refers to a capacity for development that can be sustained into the future. Officials should employ sustainable practices when undertaking procurement, such as promoting reduced energy consumption and minimising waste where possible.
- Value for money is the core principle underpinning Australian Government Procurement. In conducting a procurement, officials must take into account all relevant costs and benefits over the entire life of the procurement. Environmental sustainability of the proposed goods and services and climate change impacts should be considered as part of this total cost assessment.
- Designing sustainable approaches improves the value for money achieved by the procurement and introduces greater innovation in designing and implementing procurements.
- Sustainable procurement practices can be demonstrated by:
- including strategies that reduce demand or unnecessary consumption and end-of-life disposal;
- considering future sustainability issues and policies in the planning process (such as higher energy costs and energy intensity targets);
- encouraging sustainable solutions and innovation in tenders;
- considering climate change impacts of procurements; and
- measuring and improving sustainability throughout the life of the procurement.
Practice
- Entities may have their own sustainability requirements that should be considered.
- Where appropriate, officials should consider environmental factors and efficiency targets when defining a procurement such as:
- energy consumption;
- Greenhouse Gas emissions;
- climate change impacts;
- reduction of waste;
- use of recycled products;
- reduction of hazardous substances (RoHS);
- packaging; and
- end-of-life recycling.
Further Information
- Further information on sustainability can be found at Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.