Sustainable Procurement | sustainsurveying

SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT

Using Procurement to Deliver Better Outcomes

Procurement has an important influence on the sustainability of construction projects and the wider built environment.

Decisions about what is purchased, how it is specified, where it comes from, who supplies it and how contracts are structured can affect environmental performance, social outcomes, cost, quality and long-term value.

Sustainable procurement brings these considerations into the purchasing of goods, services and works, seeking to achieve value while considering their wider economic, environmental and social consequences.

It therefore moves procurement beyond a narrow focus on initial price towards a broader understanding of value, performance and whole-life outcomes.

Sustainable Procurement and Surveying

Surveyors can have considerable influence over procurement decisions.

Depending upon their role, they may contribute to procurement strategy, specification, cost planning, tender evaluation, contract selection, project management and the assessment of suppliers and contractors.

This creates opportunities to incorporate sustainability considerations throughout the procurement process rather than attempting to address them once a project is already under way.

RICS's 2026 Sustainability practice for surveyors identifies procurement as an important mechanism for translating sustainability objectives into practical project outcomes. It highlights responsible sourcing, sustainability requirements within contracts, ethical sourcing and fair labour practices, and the verification of supplier performance and credentials.

RICS – Sustainability practice for surveyors

From Lowest Cost to Long-Term Value

Sustainable procurement does not mean disregarding cost.

Instead, it encourages consideration of cost and value over the life of an asset, alongside environmental and social performance.

An option with the lowest initial purchase or construction cost may not necessarily provide the best long-term outcome if it results in higher energy consumption, greater maintenance requirements, shorter replacement cycles or increased waste.

Whole-life thinking can therefore help decision-makers consider relationships between capital cost, operational expenditure, durability, maintenance, adaptability and eventual reuse or disposal.

RICS similarly advocates a shift from purely cost-led towards value-led decision-making in construction and infrastructure.

RICS – Sustainable construction and infrastructure

Responsible Sourcing and Supply Chains

The sustainability performance of a project extends beyond the immediate construction site.

Materials, products and services can involve complex supply chains with implications for carbon emissions, resource consumption, biodiversity, working conditions, human rights, transport and local economies.

Responsible procurement therefore requires appropriate consideration of both what is being purchased and the supply chain through which it is provided.

Relevant considerations can include:

responsible and ethical sourcing
embodied carbon and environmental performance
durability and product life
recycled and reused materials
resource efficiency and circularity
waste prevention
supplier environmental and social performance
labour standards and working conditions
local sourcing and employment
supply-chain resilience
transparency and availability of reliable product information.

ISO 20400 provides an internationally recognised framework for integrating sustainability into procurement, and RICS's current guidance specifically identifies responsible sourcing consistent with ISO 20400 as good practice for construction procurement.

Procurement, Carbon and the Circular Economy

Procurement decisions have a direct relationship with carbon and resource use.

The materials and products selected for a project influence its embodied carbon, while decisions about durability, adaptability, repair, replacement and end-of-life treatment affect emissions and resource consumption throughout the asset lifecycle.

Procurement can therefore support a more circular approach by prioritising reuse, recycled content, durability, adaptability and the recovery of materials rather than relying solely on new resources.

These considerations connect sustainable procurement closely with whole-life carbon assessment, waste management and the circular economy.

Sustainability Through Contracts

Sustainability ambitions are more likely to influence project outcomes when they are translated into clear and achievable procurement and contractual requirements.

RICS's current guidance recommends incorporating sustainability requirements into contracts and performance clauses and verifying supplier performance and certifications.

This is becoming particularly important for carbon. RICS has recently highlighted that carbon commitments need to be properly understood, planned, costed and incorporated into procurement and contractual arrangements if they are to be delivered successfully.

RICS – Why commercial teams must treat carbon as a contract issue

Risk, Resilience and Procurement

Sustainable procurement can also contribute to better risk management.

Understanding supply chains can help organisations identify exposure to resource shortages, price volatility, environmental regulation, unethical practices, disruption and changing market expectations.

Diversifying supply, improving transparency and considering long-term material and resource requirements can therefore contribute to both sustainability and organisational resilience.

This is particularly relevant as construction faces simultaneous pressures from decarbonisation, resource constraints, inflation, technological change and supply-chain disruption.

Sustainable Procurement and Social Value

Procurement can also influence the social outcomes generated by construction and development.

Decisions about suppliers, contractors and employment can support local businesses, skills development, training, fair working practices and opportunities within communities.

This reflects the wider understanding of sustainability adopted by RICS, in which environmental objectives are considered alongside social and economic outcomes rather than in isolation.

Sustain Surveying and Sustainable Procurement

Sustain Surveying provides independent professional analysis and advice on sustainability considerations within procurement and supply-chain decision-making.

Our approach brings together surveying expertise, sustainability research, RICS standards and guidance, policy and wider professional evidence to help clients understand how procurement decisions can contribute to wider sustainability objectives.

Advice may include consideration of sustainability within procurement strategies; identification of relevant environmental, social and economic considerations; review of responsible sourcing and supply-chain issues; consideration of carbon, resource efficiency and circularity; and interpretation of relevant professional standards and emerging good practice.

Where an instruction requires specialist legal advice, detailed contract drafting, procurement law advice, supply-chain auditing or other specialist services, the need for appropriately qualified professional input will be identified.

Discuss Sustainable Procurement

If you would like to discuss how sustainability could be incorporated into a procurement strategy, construction project, supply chain or organisational decision, please contact Sustain Surveying.

Professional advice can be provided for a defined project or instruction, with the scope and fee agreed in advance.