Sustainable procurement for Guardian News & Media (GNM) is working with our suppliers and contractors to generate real value for our business, society and the planet.
Our recruitment decisions are driven by different needs of teams. Therefore, we are developing a flexible approach around a formal, centralized process.
While the central procurement Department has been developing a process of robust sustainability, his work has been hampered by the fact that many purchase decisions are made in individual areas of the company without the experience professionally assess environmental or social impacts.
There is still work required to centralize the process and ensure the effective management of the supplier. However, where controlled centralized procurement decisions has enabled us to engage internal specialists in risk, sustainability, finance, and law in the decision-making process.
The procurement team is seeking approval to ensure that all spend more than ￡ 25,000 passes by the same stringent procedures.
We are also updating our procurement policy to ensure a more coherent approach internally. The new policy will outline the process of acquisition, roles and responsibilities and requirements of information and data.
Construction of a more coherent policy process will also assist departments GNM financial decisions, to understand the criteria of sustainability must consider and understand when should involved teams of specialists of GNM advice and close the session.
Another improvement that the acquisitions team is working is to ensure that contracts are monitored throughout its useful life.
For the time being, though commitments on sustainability, may there are few controls on if the contractor actually meets these obligations. However, where suppliers have been identified they represent a significant risk or contribution to our carbon footprint, the sustainability team has worked with them.
The central procurement team only has responsibility to the point of signing the contract. Therefore, we seek to develop sustainability indicators. The focus will be on risk management and demonstrate diligence to protect the value of money, reputation, delivery, quality and environmental and social sustainability.
The procurement team has also adapted its approach to sustainability. He found that providers need more flexibility in sustainability issues as some were bidding. Questions are being developed around how our demands for products and services of unit emissions and consumption. Also, more specific questions have been developed with respect to which the provider will make to reduce our impact and achieve the goals, rather than whether or not they have a policy of social responsibility.
Through this period of change we are dedicated to the development of sustainable supply chains. As such, highlights sustainability from the outset in the bidding process. Request for proposal (RFP) documents establishing the GNM's sustainability commitment and contains a section of questions to determine the sustainability of the supplier and the risks to the business.
The RFP is a lively and flexible document, consists of a template's core that is agreed and then modified to meet the needs of the business, specific risks associated with purchasing and maximize value from suppliers.
An example of process in operation is the recent magazine of the GNM printing contract. All selected suppliers had to complete a questionnaire of preset that asked environmental accreditations and tracking carbon footprint. In addition to this, were asked to describe and demonstrate policies of corporate social and environmental responsibility, as well as the way in will really manage and reduce the negative environmental impacts of their processes.
The responses were evaluated by environmental administrator in the GNM, and focused on three areas:
? Management of environmental impacts including resource inputs as outputs of chemical products, solvents, paper, inks and water as well as emissions, such as air emissions
? Data from monitoring to allow GNM to better understand and reduce their carbon and environmental footprint
? Compliance with rules and procedures governing as the certification through the supply chain
