National foreword

This British Standard is the UK implementation of ISO 20400:2017. It supersedes BS 8903:2010, which is withdrawn.

The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted to Technical Committee SDS/1/3, Sustainable Procurement.

A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to its secretary.

This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

This British Standard was published under the authority of the Standards Policy and Strategy Committee on 30 April 2017.

Foreword

ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.

The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).

Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not constitute an endorsement.

For an explanation on the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following URL: www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.

This document was prepared by Project Committee ISO/PC 277, Sustainable procurement.

In the development of this document, ISO Guide 82 has been taken into account in addressing sustainability issues.

Introduction

Every organization has environmental, social and economic impacts.

Procurement is a powerful instrument for organizations wishing to behave in a responsible way and contribute to sustainable development and to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. By integrating sustainability in procurement policies and practices, including supply chains, organizations can manage risks (including opportunities) for sustainable environmental, social and economic development.

Sustainable procurement represents an opportunity to provide more value to the organization by improving productivity, assessing value and performance, enabling communication between purchasers, suppliers and all stakeholders, and by encouraging innovation.

This document assists organizations in meeting their sustainability responsibilities by providing an understanding of:

what sustainable procurement is;
what the sustainability impacts and considerations are across the different aspects of procurement activity:
- policy;
- strategy;
- organization;
- process;
how to implement sustainable procurement.

Figure 1 presents the structure of this document.

This document is applicable to any organization, public or private, regardless of its size and location. It is intended to be understood by any stakeholder involved in, or impacted by, procurement decisions and processes. The implementation of this document takes into account the particular context and characteristics of each organization, scaling the application of the concepts to suit the size of the organization. The adoption of this document by large organizations promotes opportunities for small and medium-sized organizations in their supply chains.

Clause 4 provides an overview of sustainable procurement. It describes the principles and core subjects of sustainable procurement and examines why organizations undertake sustainable procurement. Important consideration is given to managing risks (including opportunities), addressing adverse sustainability impacts through due diligence, setting priorities, exercising positive influence and avoiding complicity.

Clause 5 provides guidance on how sustainability considerations are integrated at a strategic level within the procurement practices of an organization, to ensure that the intention, direction and key sustainability priorities of the organization are achieved. It is intended to assist top management in defining a sustainable procurement policy and strategy.

Clause 6 describes the organizational conditions and management techniques needed to successfully implement and continually improve sustainable procurement. The organization ensures that such conditions and practices are in place in order to assist individuals with responsibility for the procurement of goods or services integrate sustainability considerations into the procurement process.

Clause 7 addresses the procurement process and is intended for individuals who are responsible for the actual procurement within their organization. It is also of interest to those in associated functions, as it describes how sustainability considerations are integrated into existing procurement processes.

1 Scope

This document provides guidance to organizations, independent of their activity or size, on integrating sustainability within procurement, as described in ISO 26000. It is intended for stakeholders involved in, or impacted by, procurement decisions and processes.

2 Normative references

3 Terms and definitions

4 Understanding the fundamentals

4.1 Concept of sustainable procurement

4.2 Principles of sustainable procurement

4.3 Core subjects of sustainable procurement

4.4 Drivers for sustainable procurement

4.5 Key considerations for sustainable procurement

5 Integrating sustainability into the organization’s procurement policy and strategy

5.1 Committing to sustainable procurement

5.2 Clarifying accountability

5.3 Aligning procurement with organizational objectives and goals

5.4 Understanding procurement practices and supply chains

5.5 Managing implementation

6 Organizing the procurement function towards sustainability

6.1 Governing procurement

6.2 Enabling people

6.3 Identifying and engaging stakeholders

6.4 Setting sustainable procurement priorities

6.5 Measuring and improving performance

6.6 Establishing a grievance mechanism

7 Integrating sustainability into the procurement process

7.1 Building on the existing process

7.2 Planning

7.3 Integrating sustainability requirements into the specifications

7.4 Selecting suppliers

7.5 Managing the contract

7.6 Reviewing and learning from the contract

Bibliography

BS ISO 20400:2017

Sustainable procurement. Guidance

Current

Published:

30 Apr 2017