Guide 12:
Supporting environmental sustainability and resilience

What this economic benefit means

Environmental sustainability and resilience means reducing environmental impact while supporting:

• climate resilience
• climate adaptation
• circular practices.

Wider impacts of supporting environmental sustainability and resilience

When procurement prioritises sustainability and resilience:

• emissions are reduced
• resource use is reduced
• climate resilience improves
• lifecycle costs can be lowered.

Planning for supporting environmental sustainability and resilience

This guidance applies if supporting environmental sustainability and resilience has been identified as a benefit at the planning stage. When planning, consider:

• Are there emissions reduction opportunities?
• Can low carbon or circular approaches improve resilience?
• Are sustainable materials or methods appropriate?
• How does this align with environmental priorities?

The general guidance on planning for economic benefits applies alongside these specific considerations.

Plan to include economic benefits in the procurement

Example RFx questions for supporting sustainability and resilience

Use and adapt these examples in your tender documentation to confirm whether respondents can successfully deliver this benefit.

• Outline approaches to reduce environmental impact of the contract.
• Describe sustainability or resilience initiatives at your organisation.
• Explain how lifecycle impacts will be managed.
• Highlight risks or barriers to delivering sustainability initiatives and how you’ll manage these.

Remember to keep requested information proportional and clear. The general guidance on approaching the market for economic benefits still applies.

Approach the market with economic benefits in mind

Indicators of supporting environmental sustainability and resilience

You could use or adapt the following indicators to measure the success of this benefit. If they don’t directly fit your organisation’s context, adapt them as needed.

Keep performance measurement proportional to the procurement.

• Environmental emissions reductions, compared to baselines (for example, carbon emissions, discharges to water).
• Environmental performance metrics (for example, air quality or energy consumption).
• Sustainability practices adopted (like certifications or initiatives).
• Resource consumption reduction, compared to baselines.
• Proportion of waste diverted or reduced.