The importance of procuring materials and services responsibly has come under the microscope with the launch of a new publication ‘Delivering Sustainable Procurement’ by Costain for its supply chain.

Details of the sustainable procurement policy are laid out in a special Guideproduced by the Company, drawn up by General Manager, Procurement & Supply Chain Management, Martin Orrells; Corporate Responsibility Director, Catherine Warbrick and Environmental Manager, Geraint Rowland.

The guidance document, which sets out the ideals and controls that allow both Costain and its suppliers to deliver the sustainable procurement policy, has been issued both internally and externally.

Procurement at Costain is guided by, and focused on, delivering Costain’s Engineering Tomorrow strategy and Costain Cares ethos. The supply chain is seen as vital to Costain achieving its sustainable procurement ambitions – the firm is focused on ensuring that it has a sustainable supply chain whereby its partners support it in delivering efficient, innovative and sustainable solutions.

Both and its suppliers have to consider the economic, environmental and social impacts of applied products and services. To help deliver its sustainable procurement plans, Costain is looking at four areas: sustainable practices; ethical management; local enterprise; and inclusion and environmental sustainability.

To ensure that the standards are maintained, Costain checks the performance of its ‘Top 100’ suppliers every three months, monitoring them and comparing them against their peers.

If a supplier turns in a performance that is below acceptable standards, improvement plans are agreed between it and Costain and then implemented to improve and track the former’s performance.

Depending on level of risk to which a supplier exposes the Company, the supplier is plotted on a risk matrix to determine the degree of observation that is required to meet Costain’s risk management governance.

Click here to download the Guide