Sustainable Procurement Conference

How can organisations ensure sustainable procurement throughout the supply chain?  What do all the different standards and labels on products mean?  How can sustainable procurement be used to ensure a competitive advantage and maintain value for money?  These, and many more issues, will be addressed at a BSI British Standards conference to be held in London on 3-4 July 2007.  

Procurement is a key area within sustainable development, demonstrated by the establishment in 2005 of a dedicated government task force.  Increasing pressure from customers and clients to put sustainable procurement into practice and the benefits to businesses themselves, also ensures it remains high on the business agenda.

Implementing Sustainable Procurement, a BSI British Standards conference, aims to explain and make accessible sustainable procurement implementation for both private and public sectors.  The event, suitable for everyone from senior procurement professionals and supply chain managers to communications specialists, will help participants:

• Implement and apply best-practice in sustainable procurement
• Measure the sustainability of new and existing products and services
• Use standards to simplify the process
• Balance sustainability with cost and quality demands

Among the Day 1 speakers at the conference is Barbara Morton, Sustainable Procurement Advisor, Defra, who will present on the benefits of implementing sustainable procurement and predict future trends.  Shaun McCarthy, Director of Action Sustainability and Chair of Commission for a Sustainable London 2012, will speak on the implementation process, from seeking approval to the risks of ignoring sustainable procurement.  Other speakers include Dr Mike Watson, Head of Construction at the Waste and Resources and Action Programme, and Geoff Lane, Partner in Sustainable Development at PricewaterhouseCoopers. 

Industry practitioners from BT, Thames Valley Police, and Cadbury Schweppes will be on hand to share their real-life experiences of implementing a sustainable procurement strategy. 

Day 2 of the conference consists of two workshops run by experts, designed to equip participants with the knowledge and confidence to implement sustainable procurement.