New approach to make greener purchasing decisions

Derbyshire County Council is using its buying power to help tackle climate change by making greener purchasing decisions.

The council spends more than £450 million a year on goods and services ranging from materials used for fixing roads to food served in schools, books for libraries and waste and recycling services.

Now, as part of its climate change strategy and commitment to cut carbon emissions to net zero, the council is putting measures in place to make sure sustainability is at the forefront of decisions including which products and services to buy and the companies that will supply them.

Environmental requirements will be included in all contracts and consideration given to economic impacts – such as encouraging increased participation from small and medium-sized suppliers and supporting local skills and employment – and social impacts such as ensuring human rights, environmental rights and employment standards are always met.

Councillor Simon Spencer, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Budget, said: “As one of the largest organisations in Derbyshire, we have the opportunity to lead by example and help influence suppliers to improve the sustainability of the goods and services they provide.

“We’re committed to reducing emissions generated by the county council to net-zero by 2032 or sooner and helping the rest of Derbyshire reduce carbon emissions generated within the county to net zero by 2050 or sooner – but it’s not something we can do on our own.

“This new approach will require us to work in partnership with suppliers and the supply chain to consider the whole lifecycle, environmental, social and economic impact of the goods and services they provide.

“By working together, we can help to bring about positive and lasting change which we hope will have a ripple effect across industries and markets as well as helping us on our Journey to a Net Zero Derbyshire.”