The Province’s new Sustainable Procurement Policy is ground-breaking

The Province’s new Sustainable Procurement Policy was introduced in August. It is ground-breaking, the first of its kind in North America, and presents an unprecedented opportunity for local and green businesses in Nova Scotia.

https://www.gov.ns.ca/tenders/policy/pdf_files/procurementpolicy.pdf.

The policy came out of the Environmental Goals and Sustainable Prosperity Act.  It requires that every purchase made, at all levels in all departments, be in accordance with the principles of sustainable prosperity (defined below).  This includes 19 departments, thousands of staff, and hundreds of individuals at all levels of purchasing authority.

The amount the provincial government spends on goods and services is between $750-800 million annually.  Purchases by the MASH sector (Municipalities, Academic Institutions, Schools and Hospitals) are worth roughly that amount again.  While they are not required to comply, they have been “requested to align” with the policy.

“Sustainable Procurement” involves taking a holistic approach to obtain best value for Government.  This will be done by integrating the following considerations in the procurement process:

Environmental considerations:

Green House Gas Reduction

Waste Reduction

Toxic Use Reduction

Economic considerations:

Life Cycle Cost

Fiscal Responsibility

Support for the Local Economy

Social considerations:

Employee Health and Safety

Inclusiveness and Fair Wage

Health Promotion