Scottish Government

Section 7 - Sustainability in Building Procurement

Key Points

• The Scottish Government has signed up to a shared UK framework that challenges governments to "promote a clear understanding of and commitment to sustainable development so that all people can contribute to the overall goal through their individual decisions"
• Government Directorates General, clients, design teams and end-users can play an important part in meeting sustainable development objectives. However, they must also be able to demonstrate that their programmes and projects deliver value for money and comply with EC procurement rules
• A sustainable development should meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
• In line with Scottish Government policy, in construction applications, at least 10% of the total value of materials used on projects over £1m should derive from recycled or re-used content
• The Scottish Sustainable Procurement Action Plan is mandatory for Scottish Government Departments and helps public sector organisations build sustainable procurement into their corporate culture
• "Government Buying Standards" can be a simple and useful means of achieving sustainability in procurement as long as they are aligned with overall organisational policies and priorities
• Scottish public policies, programmes and strategies, that are likely to have significant environmental effects when implemented require to have a Strategic Environmental Assessment

Section 7: Sustainability in Building Procurement

The UK framework challenges governments to "promote a clear understanding of and commitment to sustainable development so that all people can contribute to the overall goal through their individual decisions". Scotland is committed to building a sustainable future. Policies and programmes are in place to drive change in key areas: transforming the way we deal with our waste, capitalising on Scotland's sources of renewable energy and taking action on climate change.

Government Directorates General, clients, design teams and end-users can play an important part in meeting sustainable development objectives. However, they must also be able to demonstrate that their programmes and projects deliver value for money and comply with EC procurement rules. Certain Key Objectives are crucial to the delivery of a good and sustainable building.

Key Objectives

The Scottish Government has underlined it's commitment to sustainable development with the publication of " Choosing Our Future: Scotland's Sustainable Development Strategy". The document sets out actions which the Scottish Government will take in Scotland to turn the shared priorities set out in the UK Framework for Sustainable Development into action.

As a definition of sustainability, a sustainable development should meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

In construction projects it is vitally important that the project brief highlights the importance of sustainability decisions to ensure that all parties involved in the projects are aware of the client's aspirations and targets. Clients must be able to set out and clarify those objectives in a clearly defined manner. The objectives should be classified as essential and desirable depending upon the project outcomes. Clients should encourage maximising reuse of existing buildings, designing for minimum waste, aiming for lean construction, minimising energy consumption and conserving water resources. Project briefs should give preference to systems and products that reduce embedded carbon, energy use, waste and pollution in construction, transportation, installation and use.

The objectives of sustainable development must prevail throughout all stages of a project. Clients should adopt a co-ordinated approach to sustainability issues at all stages of the life cycle of buildings and their components including conception, briefing, design, procurement, construction, operation, maintenance and ultimate disposal. The client organisation should cultivate a working environment which promotes on-going education in sustainable matters with an attitude which allows a continuing awareness of changing Government policies and targets. This should include liaising closely with other professionals, technical and commercial, within the industry at all stages of the building lifecycle to ensure awareness of new products and techniques.

Clients should be aware of techniques for predicting building performance to provide a reliable basis for energy labelling. This is important in relation to the European Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings.

In the long term, clients should encourage building operators to properly maintain the building and embedded systems from the point of view of energy efficiency and reduced waste in a strictly monitored environment. Sustained use of benchmarking specific criteria throughout the operation of the building should become the norm. At the appropriate stage in the life-cycle of the building, clients should have an awareness of improved replacements for materials and components with less environmentally damaging alternatives.

Design teams should produce clear details of how they intend to achieve the aims of the project brief. This should be identified in any tender process and should be the subject of a comprehensive appraisal within the tender process. The stated aims and objectives of the successful design should be monitored throughout the construction process and beyond. Design teams should be encouraged to use components which fully meet the construction criteria set by the Client but also have a high re-use and/or recyclable element upon final disposal of the facility. In line with Scottish Government policy, in construction applications, at least 10% of the total value of materials used on projects over £1m should derive from recycled or re-used content.

Through a properly constructed procurement process clients should ensure that due diligence and a professional approach is given through an awareness of whole life costing and value for money, biodiversity issues, energy use and targets, water use, waste management and minimisation techniques, choice of construction methods and materials, pollution issues, environmental performance standards, current and proposed Government standards, social issues surrounding the project, current and proposed health and safety issues, component delivery and supply team issues.

Key Policies

Scottish Sustainable Procurement Action Plan

The Scottish Sustainable Procurement Action Plan (SSPAP) was launched on 28th October 2009.

SSPAP is mandatory for Scottish Government Departments and provides good practice guidance for the wider public sector. It assists organisations across the public sector to meet their best value obligations and their responsibilities in respect of climate change targets as set out in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

SSPAP provides a 10-step methodology to help public sector organisations build sustainable procurement into their corporate culture, take proper account of sustainability in their procurement activity and demonstrate how this is being achieved. It outlines a whole organisation approach to successful sustainable procurement, encouraging whole life costing and addressing how environmental as well as economic and social aspects of sustainability can be incorporated into everyday procurement. SSPAP's supporting annexes provide advice and contact points on specific Scottish Government areas of policy which impact upon sustainable procurement.

SSPAP recommends use of the "Government Buying Standards", previously known as the "Buy Sustainable - Quick Wins", as a simple and useful means towards achieving sustainability. The Government Buying Standards are a range of specifications, including a number of construction-related specifications that can be adopted towards ensuring sustainability. They reflect EU sustainability policies and are produced and maintained on behalf of the UK Government by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. As they are produced and maintained by the UK Government, however, and as they are constantly evolving, consideration in their use should always be given to whether they reflect the policies and priorities of both the Scottish Government and individual public sector organisations

Strategic Environmental Assessment

The Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 came into force on February 20, 2006 and ensures that all Scottish public policies, programmes and strategies, that are likely to have significant environmental effects when implemented have to have a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA).

SEAs are a key component of sustainable development, establishing important new methods for protecting the environment and extending opportunities for participation and transparency within public policy decision making. The 2005 Act covers a wide spectrum of sectors and ensures that qualifying policies, programmes and strategies have to gauge their impact on the environment and seek ways to prevent, reduce and as fully as possible offset any significant adverse effects.

Key Issues