World’s first international standard for sustainable procurement
ISO 20400 is the world’s first international standard to provide guidance on delivering sustainability through its procurement and supply chain The aim is to ensure that sustainability is considered across the entire procurement process and is designed to be applicable to any organisation or business regardless of size, location or sector.
The standard defines sustainable procurement as: “Procurement that has the most positive environmental, social & economic impacts
possible over the entire life cycle” will allow companies to demonstrate that sustainability is integral to their operations and success.
David Fatscher, Head of Market Development for Sustainability at BSI, said: “As the need for supply chain transparency grows, the global benefits of sustainable procurement are more evident than ever. ISO 20400 has captured best practice from experts from over 40 countries on six continents and delivers a global solution to a global challenge. It has been closely modelled on the existing British standard BS 8903, which should place UK organizations at an advantage in its early adoption.”
This is a guidance standar not a requirements standard like ISO 14001. This means an organisation cannot be certified for compliance but can
be evaluated and/or advised by a competent third party.
For more information on the standard, please visit the BSI website or visit edie.net for an explanation of the standard.