Environmental Purchasing in Practice

The IEMA is delighted to announce the publication of its second journal in the ‘practitioner’ series: ‘Environmental Purchasing in Practice: guidance for organisations’. The journal has been co-produced with the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply and the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency.

The IEMA is delighted to announce the publication of its second journal in the ‘practitioner’ series: ‘Environmental Purchasing in Practice: guidance for organisations’. The journal has been co-produced with the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply and the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency.

Written by Barbara Morton, Manchester School of Management with contributions from Malcolm McInnes of the Environmental Supply Chain Forum and Chris Foster of EuGeos Limited, the Guide presents an account of good environmental purchasing practice. It should be of value to environmental practitioners, purchasers and supply chain professionals in organisations.

Purchasing with the environment in mind or 'environmental purchasing' as it is referred to in this Guide is now on the agenda for a wide range of companies: from multi-national corporations to small and medium-sized enterprises, including manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and service providers. In the public sector, government departments, agencies and local authorities are involved. All these organisations have an interest in the issue, but they operate in different circumstances and face different challenges and opportunities.

The information in this Guide will be of value to those who wish to understand the case for environmental purchasing, either to gain senior level commitment or to deliver improvements in the supply chain. It will also assist environmental professionals who wish to acquire a better understanding of how purchasing decisions are made, and how their organisations' environmental performance relates to the supply chain.

Dr Alan Knight OBE writes in his foreword:

'I welcome this Practitioner Guide and the initiatives it describes. It attempts to make the concept of green purchasing accessible to all.'

This Guide has been written for those with responsibilities for purchasing and the supply chain and for environmental management professionals and consultants. It should also be of interest to budget holders and technical staff who are involved in purchasing decisions or are equipment users, and those who develop and implement policy relating to purchasing, environmental management, supply chain management and risk management.

The guide aims to help the reader:

• understand the business reasons for implementing environmental purchasing, and communicate these to senior managers, colleagues and companies in the supply chain;

• understand how environmental purchasing relates to environmental management systems - particularly ISO 14001 and the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS);

• appreciate the possibilities for environmental purchasing within the public and private sectors, including how it can be done within EU procurement rules, and learn how some organisations have capitalised on these opportunities; and

• understand that environmental purchasing is part of a process of continuous improvement.

A copy of the guide is sent free to all IEMA members and can be purchased for �15 plus postage from the IEMA. Order forms are available from the IEMA web site www.iema.net or by telephoning 01522 540 069.