Going Green Down Under: Exciting Update on Australian Government Sustainable Procurement Policy
The Australian Government has taken a significant step towards sustainability by launching its first-ever national Environmentally Sustainable Procurement Policy.
This is excellent news for companies committed to investing in sustainability and carbon emissions benchmarking. As per the new policy, the Australian Government will allocate tenders to companies based on their adherence to sustainability standards from 1 July 2024. This move is in line with the recommendations of the Circular Economy Ministerial Advisory Group interim report. The policy will initially apply to businesses tendering for Government construction services projects worth over $7.5 million. It will require them to comply with the sustainability standards such as repurposing waste and using recycled materials instead of single-use materials. The policy aims to promote environmental protection by encouraging the remaking, remanufacturing, and recycling of more goods.
This initial phase of the Sustainable Procurement Policy will affect nearly 60% of Australian government procurement contracts (by value). Suppliers fulfilling smaller Australian Government contracts will have an additional 12 months to achieve alignment with the policy.
It is excellent that the Australian Government is choosing to reward mature supply businesses that can demonstrate they have aligned their operations with what the planet and the country need.
If your business requires any support with carbon certification, a carbon life cycle assessment, product EPDs, or the ISO 14000 series of environmental management standards, we are ready to help. Click here to send us an enquiry via our LCA webpage.
Environmentally Sustainable Procurement Policy and Reporting Framework
Environmentally Sustainable Procurement Policy, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Canberra, July. CC BY 4.0. This publication is available at https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/waste/sustainable-procurement
Sources:
DCCEEW: https://minister.dcceew.gov.au/plibersek/media-releases/delivering-future-remade-australia
@AuManufacturing: https://www.aumanufacturing.com.au/new-procurement-policy-will-drive-future-remade-in-australia-plibersek