Sustainable Procurement Policy and Strategy

Our ambitions for this policy

When we buy something, we want to:

• get good value for money
• help the local economy
• create jobs and reduce poverty
• support fair and ethical businesses
• reduce our impact on the environment

We use our buying power to benefit Belfast now and in the future.

We define Sustainable Procurement as:

“Using our buying power to support the Belfast Agenda, help the local economy grow in a fair way, tackle climate change, and support local communities and vulnerable people—while still making sure we get the best value for money for the people of Belfast, now and in the future.”

We have three key themes in the policy:

• Ethical procurement - we buy from suppliers who meet our expectations of ethical business practices 
• Social value – we buy from suppliers who are committed to deliver additional social value to create jobs and support local communities and vulnerable people.
• Climate action – our spend helps support the delivery of our climate action plan and reducing the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions within our supply chain.

This policy explains what “value for money” means when we buy goods or services. It builds on our Social Value Procurement Policy (introduced in 2023). We don’t just look at cost and quality—we also aim to choose options that deliver the best long-term and sustainable benefits.

Evidence shows that the more we spend with Belfast-based suppliers, the more our residents will be able to benefit. Our policy supports local businesses, increases local competitiveness and improves the climate resilience of our supply chains, reducing our vulnerability to climate risk.

We will continue to lead the way for local councils in Northern Ireland in terms of sustainable procurement best practice and innovative approaches to policy delivery. 

Our ambitions for each of our three key themes are:

Ethical procurement

• We make sure the money we spend supports:
  • suppliers who take action to prevent modern slavery and protect human rights.
  • suppliers who treat workers fairly and provide safe workplaces.
  • suppliers who act honestly and follow good ethical business practices.
• We expect fair and responsible behaviour across all suppliers and their supply chains.
• We expect suppliers to pay staff fairly, including at least the Real Living Wage.
• Suppliers must not use zero-hours contracts for staff working on our contracts.
• Suppliers must follow good practice for data protection and information security.

Social value

• We aim to create more jobs in Belfast and more employment opportunities for the long-term unemployed, economically inactive and other underrepresented groups in the labour market.
• We want the money we spend to support projects that benefit local communities and vulnerable people.
• We will reward suppliers who go further to create and deliver additional social value and impact.
• We will reserve some contract opportunities for social enterprises where appropriate.
• We will promote the Belfast Business Promise and encourage more Belfast based suppliers to join.

Climate action

We will:

• reward suppliers who meet high environmental standards
• work with suppliers who understand climate change and take action to reduce risks and disruption, including climate related maintenance costs and improved climate resilience
• reduce the greenhouse gas (carbon) emissions linked to what we buy, helping us move towards net zero. This includes using local suppliers where possible to cut down on transport, in line with legal requirements. 
• include low carbon standards and circular economy (reuse and recycle) requirements in our tenders 
• reduce Single Use Plastic (SUP) and plastic waste in our supply chains
• where possible, use renewable and low carbon energy, for example through buying power purchase agreements.

Our values and expectations

We want to be clear with our suppliers about our values and what we expect from them. 

When suppliers bid for a contract, they must confirm that:

• they have read and understood the Code of Conduct, and
• they will follow it when working on Council contracts

If a supplier does not agree to this, they cannot take part in the tender process.

If a supplier later fails to follow the Code of Conduct, this may be treated as a breach of contract.

Legislative and strategic context

This policy is written to support the main aims of the Procurement Act. These include:

• getting value for money - this means thinking about what “value” really means for our organisation and the community. It is not just about cost - it is about getting the best overall result over the life of the contract.
• maximising public benefit - We will consider how our contracts can bring extra benefits, such as helping communities or protecting the environment.
• being open and sharing information - We will monitor and publish what suppliers promise to deliver and what they actually deliver.
• being fair and acting with integrity - We will treat all suppliers equally and run a clear and fair process.
• supporting small businesses (SMEs) - We will reduce barriers where possible so small and local businesses can take part.

How this policy supports other council plans

This policy also supports other key council strategies and plans, including:

• the Belfast Agenda and Corporate Plan, especially priorities around the economy, the environment and supporting people
• the Inclusive Growth Strategy, using procurement to create social value
• the Belfast Business Promise, encouraging responsible business practices
• the Climate Action Plan, supporting a move to a low‑carbon, net zero future and helping services adapt to climate change
• the Single Use Plastics Policy (in development), aiming to reduce plastic use and waste
• the Sustainable Food Policy (in development), promoting a more sustainable and ethical food system

Legal limits

There are some legal limits on what we can consider when buying works or goods. These come from laws such as Article 19 of the Local Government (Northern Ireland) Order 1992. These rules can restrict some non-commercial factors from being included in procurement decisions.

Climate Action and the Net Zero Challenge

Belfast declared a climate emergency in October 2019. Since then, it has set targets to cut its carbon emissions by 66 per cent by 2025, 80 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2050. Procurement is an important way the council can help to tackle climate change and reduce emissions, including those from companies we work with through our supply chain.

Recent analysis shows that about 75 per cent (around 55,000 tonnes) of the council’s total carbon emissions come from our supply chain - the organisations that provide us with goods and services.

Most of the council’s carbon emissions come from waste management, which makes up 56 per cent of the total.

The next largest contributor is from projects related to grants and funding, at 12 per cent.

Several other areas each contribute smaller amounts:

• Parks and grounds maintenance – 5 per cent
• Professional services – 5 per cent
• Human resources (HR) and travel – 5 per cent
• Outsourced managed services – 4 per cent
• ICT (technology) – 3 per cent
• Mechanical and Electrical services (M&E) – 3 per cent
• Public sector spending – 3 per cent

The remaining areas each make up a small share (around 1 per cent each):

• Advertising and media
• Rent and rates (utilities)
• Office supplies and support services
• Stores

The policy will also consider other areas of spend that contribute to our carbon footprint and have a big impact on the local environment, including:

• Energy (gas and electricity) supply which are Scope 2 emissions
• Single use plastics use and plastic pollution by our suppliers
• Food, including how it is produced and sourced sustainably, especially from local suppliers

We need to use our spending in these areas to encourage real change in how our suppliers work. This will help reduce emissions across the supply chain and support both the council’s net zero goals and the Government’s target for Belfast to reach net zero by 2050.

To do this we need to:

• get better data about the carbon emissions from our supply chain.
• work with our suppliers on delivery of their climate action and carbon reduction plans, making improvements each year.
• consider environmental risks for each tender or project including opportunities to reduce emissions through mitigation and adaptation, prevention of pollution, using resources carefully, and protection and restoration of biodiversity.
• take a consistent and fair approach to including low carbon standards within tender documents and when assessing bids for goods, services and works.