Nottingham Trent University acknowledges that its purchasing activities have a significant impact on the environment, society and the economy. As part of the HE sector, the University also accepts it has a more global impact on sustainability and recognises it has a responsibility to reduce those impacts.

Reflecting the commitments set out in the University’s Environmental Policy and supporting the University’s overarching Procurement Policy, the University aims to embed sustainable purchasing within its culture by committing to:

• Raise awareness and promote best practice in sustainable procurement across the University, making information accessible for all

• Ensure that environmental, social and whole life cost impacts are taken into consideration in the assessment of value for money, including the impact of purchasing decisions on social value in services procured, poverty and the consideration of fairly traded goods

• Encourage NTU’s new and existing suppliers to consider the social and environmental impacts of their services and activities and address how to reduce them

• Encourage suppliers to comply with national and international standards on environmental and human rights matters and encourage a partnership approach to sustainable progression

• Undertake sustainability risk/impact assessments of products and services to be purchased

• Manage the procurement of commodities and services in order to minimise or reduce negative impacts on the natural environment e.g. waste, carbon emissions, transport miles, biodiversity and consumption of natural resources.

• Communicate the sustainable purchasing policy to NTU staff, students and suppliers
• Forge links with the local community to encourage positive participation and address barriers to entry to encourage local, regional, SME and ethnic minority suppliers to bid for University contracts

• Manage the procurement of goods and services to help the University to achieve its carbon reduction targets.

• Ensure that any printed marketing material that uses virgin paper sources such paper from independently certified sustainable forestry sources

The commitments outlined in this statement will be addressed through the development of sustainable purchasing objectives and action plan. The policy will be reviewed on an annual basis by the Head of Purchasing and the Environmental Manager.

This Sustainable Purchasing Policy applies to everyone who buys and specifies goods and services on behalf of the University. It is important that our contractors are encouraged to adopt similar policies, with sustainability performance being added to the current requirements of quality, delivery and value for money.

December 2012