Where the requirement to reduce or eliminate the use of hazardous materials will be built into the contract, performance indicators need to be developed to ensure delivery. These may include the use of testing, reports, or datasheets to evidence emissions or even spot checks on the service to monitor the products in use.
The benefits of the contractual requirement must be quantifiable and measurable; otherwise, there is a risk that it may be unenforceable. The buyer must also consider whether this requirement is core to the contract or a secondary issue, as any remedy for breach of performance may be difficult to quantify. In this case a pre-agreed service credit or maintenance rebate would enable recompense for non-performance where termination of the contract would not be an option.
Embedding sustainability into procurement is achievable as long as the requirements of an individual procurement reflect the objectives of the organisation as set out in relevant policies and strategies.
Many sustainability benefits can be achieved through the effective evaluation and selection of a sustainable supplier and so sustainable requirements must be detailed in the specification and evaluated as part of the tender process. This must include any ‘end of life’ requirements as part of the consideration to the whole life cycle.
At contract award there is always the opportunity to reach a voluntary agreement with the supplier that they will work with you to deliver agreed outcomes in relation to the use of hazardous materials and the emissions that arise from their use that can be captured as a contract commitment.
Finally, on-going improvement and innovation can be built into the management of the contract to further develop the products and services required by the contracting organisation.
