Funded by the DfE, Climate Ambassadors match volunteer climate experts with education settings.
Part of Let’s Go Zero, Climate Action Advisors are independent experts who offer free support for schools, colleges, and nurseries across England.
About
Work with your suppliers to understand what they are doing to improve their sustainability. Identify opportunities to work together on shared sustainability goals or initiatives.
This could be as simple as having a conversation with a key supplier about reducing packaging or emissions, or as structured as agreeing sustainability requirements as part of a contract.This could also include looking for suppliers who are proactively looking to work with schools and may or may not have funding support to schools. For example this is often the case with water companies.
Consider how suppliers could also help your setting adopt principles of the circular economy. This means keeping products and materials in use for longer, reducing waste and making better use of resources. For example, suppliers may offer repair services, reusable packaging, take-back schemes, refurbished equipment or opportunities to reuse materials rather than buying new.
You do not need a formal sustainability programme to start, nor do you need to engage every supplier in the same way. Focus first on key relationships or areas with the highest potential environmental impact. While local suppliers may be a good opportunity for hands-on initiatives, national suppliers may offer funding or sponsorship.
Why
Collaborative working creates mutual benefits. Working together helps suppliers understand your priorities and encourages them to develop more sustainable products and services, driving broader demand in the market.
It can also help reduce costs and waste by extending the life of products, improving resource efficiency and creating opportunities for repair, reuse and recycling.
How
A Business Manager, Procurement colleague or contract manager may be best placed to lead discussions, with support from the Sustainability Lead and relevant operational teams. Where purchasing isn’t centralised and individual departments buy their own products, it may be helpful to speak to each department and look at ways to centralise purchasing. You could speak to suppliers about their Corporate Social Responsibility, or Social Value commitments.
Resources
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E-module: Visualise your sustainability priorities within your spend categories.
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