Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 54
To increase sustainability within UK global supply chains, we recommend that: a) in its response...
Recommendation
To increase sustainability within UK global supply chains, we recommend that: a) in its response to this report, the Government should set out a clear and accessible definition of sustainability within the context of the Government Buying Standards; b) the Government reinstate the Greening Government Commitments for mandatory reporting on sustainable procurement as part of the Government Buying Standards by the end of 2021; c) the Government Buying Standards should require all acquired forest-risk commodities (in addition to palm oil and paper) to be certified as sustainably produced; and d) the Government Buying Standards should be mandatory for all large public bodies, like the NHS and prisons. Annual reporting on compliance against public procurement policies should be mandatory for these large public bodies.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government acknowledges its commitment to improving sustainable public procurement and notes that its Greening Government Commitments Framework includes a review of sustainable procurement commitments. However, it does not commit to the specific asks regarding a definition of sustainability, reinstating mandatory reporting by end of 2021, or making GBS mandatory for large public bodies with certified forest-risk commodities.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
54
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government · verbatim extract
Acknowledged
The Greening Government Commitments require compliance with Government Buying Standards. This means they apply to 20 core Ministerial and non-Ministerial departments, their executive agencies and executive non-departmental public bodies (but not advisory NDPBs), unless specifically exempted. We also encourage the wider public sector to specify the minimum mandatory standards in tenders. For food and catering, Government Buying Standards are obligatory for large public bodies. Meals for Government canteens, public prisons and the armed forces are all subject to the Government Buying Standard for Food (GBSF). The GBSF is also an embedded mandatory requirement within the Hospital Food Standards for NHS England hospitals. adoption of the Government Buying Standards. We publish an annual report on progress against the Greening Government Commitments (GGC) including reporting against the sustainable procurement commitment. We are clear that any further reporting should be published, encouraging compliance and best practice sharing.
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