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Stevenage Borough Council is working to improve the sustainability of their procurement practices.
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According to Oxygen Finance, up to 96% of Local Authorities' (LAs') greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions potentially come from their supply chains. In 2020/21, this was estimated to account for over 10% of UK's total emissions.
Recognising the impact of procurement on the environment and community wellbeing, the Council is committed to integrating sustainability into its procurement decisions.
The Council's co-operative procurement strategy includes actions that drive and support the implementation of sustainable procurement practices.
Sustainable procurement considers the entire lifecycle of goods and services (from production through use to disposal), and prioritises selecting suppliers based on ethical and eco-friendly criteria.
By focusing on sustainable procurement, the Council aims to reduce its carbon footprint, minimise waste, and contribute to the development of a circular economy, thereby enhancing resource efficiency and long-term resilience.
Sustainability can be brought into the procurement process through social value. The Council has adopted the Social Value Portal for the majority of procurements over £75k. This platform is based on the Themes, Outcomes and Measures (TOMs) national framework, encouraging bidders to propose sustainable and socially beneficial solutions that deliver added value to the community.
Further information on SBC Procurement can be found at: SBC Tender & Contracts.
The UK has legal instruments to promote sustainable procurement, including Public Services (Social Value) Act, Climate Change Act, Modern Slavery Act, etc.
Social Value Act requires LAs and their suppliers to aim the commissioned and procured services can improve the economic, social, and environmental wellbeing, while maximising the value for money for the taxpayers.
Social Value criteria can be used in decision-making when awarding contracts. A minimum weight of 10% of the total score should be considered for these criteria.
SBC has dedicated effort to applying Social Value in its procurement processes working with Social Value Portal, an online tool that helps organizations to accurately measure, report and maximise their Social Value at the tender stage and delivery. It is based on the TOMs Framework and provides a standardised framework for organisations to be target-aligned, evidence-based, and impact-driven.
This subgroup was setup to focus on supporting one of the EELGA Regional Climate Change Forum priority activities, which is to ‘Act as a regional hub to facilitate exploring of opportunities for joint procurement and support the sharing of sustainable procurement best practice’. It was intended to provide peer support and explore opportunities to work together to progress the climate agenda in the eastern region.
The Co-operative Procurement Strategy for 2025-2028 went to cabinet in March 2025. The strategy builds on the previous strategy to support the goal of net-zero emissions by 2030 and reduce carbon dioxide emissions from contracted services. The Strategy went out for consultation in May 2025 and is awaiting final sign off from Strategic Director (S151) after consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Resources and Transformation.
The updated version of the strategy can be accessed here.
As part of the EELGA (East of England Local Government Association), the RCCF (Regional Climate Change Forum) has recently launched the Sustainable Procurement Diagnostic and Action Planning project, and SBC took part in it.
The project aimed to complete a diagnostic for Councils to organise, prioritise and deliver their sustainability commitments. The diagnostic consisted of assessing 30 value codes split into 4 sections: economic, social, cultural, and environmental.
SBC's Co-operative Procurement Strategy 2021-2024 has been developed and launched in November 2021. Currently under implementation alongside the Social Value considerations.