The 'buying power' of local authorities can help save the planet
while giving a boost to local communities, delegates to a
'sustainable procurement' conference being hosted by Peterborough
City Council will be told on Monday (15 October).
The city council will present one of 10 case studies that will
demonstrate the environmental and financial benefits of modern
buying policies during the conference that will be attended by
representatives from national and local government
organisations.
Delegates will be welcomed to the day-long conference at the Key
Theatre by city council chief executive Gillian Beasley. She
said: "Nationally the public sector spends £150 billion on
buying goods and services from external suppliers and English
councils represent £42 billion of that total.
"Local authorities can therefore use their buying power to
influence the manufacture and performance of these products,
leading to social, economic and environmental benefits.
"Hosting this conference builds on Peterborough's status as an
Environment City and a sustainable transport demonstration
town."
The conference will primarily focus on the sustainable procurement
successes being achieved by local authorities in the East of
England with other examples being showcased by Norfolk,
Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Thurrock, Luton,
Bedfordshire and Southend.
Peterborough will highlight three projects:
The adoption of software that can automatically update and switch
off the council's 2,500 computers at night, saving an estimated
£50,000 and 250 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually through
reduced electricity usage.
Replacement of desktop printers, fax machines and photocopiers with
'multi-functional devices' that automatically print on both sides
of paper and offer better cost controls; an estimated 25 per cent
saving on paper usage; and a reduction in energy consumption.
The Electrical Appliance Recycling Programme (EARP), which repairs
electrical goods for re-sale to needy families or recycles
re-usable components while also providing useful work-related
training for people seeking employment.
The city council's procurement project director Adam Jacobs
added: "Sustainable procurement has the potential to offer
wider social, economic and environmental benefits. It is a
hot topic, given the government's ambition for the UK to be a
European Union leader in this sector by 2009.
"An independent, business-led Sustainable Procurement Task Force
published its first report in June 2006 and the government
published its own action plan in March 2007. A local
authority action plan is also expected shortly."
The Peterborough conference is being supported by the North East
Centre of Excellence, which takes the lead on sustainable
procurement for all nine local government regional centres of
excellence in England.
Delegates include representatives from local authorities in the
East of England, Government Office for the East of England
(GO-East), the East of England Development Agency, the Audit
Commission, Envirowise which delivers government-funded advice to
UK businesses and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs (Defra).
For more information visit the Sustainable Procurement Information
Network website: http://www.s-p-i-n.co.uk/.
Ends.