Integrating Sustainability Into Major Projects

CHAPTER 11Procurement

We have thus far discussed how to integrate sustainability into project management, stakeholder engagement, and design, but the place where all this good work becomes reality is during procurement. Procurement starts the process of converting ideas into reality by purchasing the key services equipment, materials, and contractors that will build the project.

When we talk about sustainable procurement, we are really talking about is smart and strategic procurement. The World Bank presents this very clearly:

It is said that sustainable procurement is “smart” procurement, as it takes a three-dimensional life cycle approach versus the traditional one-dimensional, economics-focused approach. Three-dimensional thinking (economic, environmental and social) does not mean it takes three times longer, nor is the outcome necessarily more expensive. Sustainable procurement is strategic procurement practice at its optimum.¹

Integrating sustainability into procurement practices requires a clear set of objectives for project procurement and strategies to meet these objectives, and then integrating sustainability into how the project requests quotes from vendors, how decisions are made, and how contracts are managed. Managing sustainable procurement on major projects cannot be done with checklists or standard templates because each major project has a unique set of challenges, risks, and opportunities that need to be understood. Each project will need a procurement plan ...