Guide to sustainable procurement in construction

In the next 40 years, the world’s population is likely to double. In theory this is good news for the construction industry because all those extra people will need homes, schools, workplaces and infrastructure. But the world is of finite resources and within 40 years, many of the natural resources that are taken for granted such as oil, water, some base metals and minerals, will be in very short supply.

This guide explains how to realise clients’ ambitions and mitigate reputation risks through more effective management of the supply chain. It recognises that some key principles apply and that the British Standard for sustainable procurement (BS 8903) can be used as a generic standard.

The main aim of this guide is to illustrate the breadth of procurement requirements, and as such this guide will help industry professionals to make their contribution to the sustainability agenda.