Procurement is the process by which organisations acquire the goods and services to meet their needs. All products and services have an impact on the environment, society and the economy. These impacts can occur throughout their lifecycles and supply chains: from raw materials extraction to production, delivery, usage and disposal.

Sustainable procurement aims to deliver long term value for money by meeting users’ requirements, maximising social and economic benefits and minimising harm to the environment.

In the context of healthcare buildings this could include a wide variety of requirements, including:

- Minimising waste – designing out waste and specifying challenging targets for the reuse / recycling of waste generated during construction and operation.
- Specifying energy efficiency – minimum requirements for energy performance based on accepted best practice.
- Using sustainable materials – avoid procuring materials that are potentially harmful to human health or the natural environment.
- Encouraging in-built flexibility – saving time and cost in the delivery if new services and responding efficiently to changing requirements over time

Contents:

1 Introduction
2.The Sustainable Procurement Process
3 Sustainable Procurement in Construction