Procurement’s principal contribution in helping Forest Research achieve its environmental objectives is as an integral part of its Environmental Management System. 

In the context of procurement, the purpose of the system for environmental management is the identification and management of the risk of negative impacts on the environment arising from our use of the goods we purchase, the performance of the services we procure, and the design and execution of the works we commission in the course of carrying out our business activities.

The objective is to eliminate, minimise, mitigate or manage environmental risk by exerting control or influence over our procurement activity through the use of specific, prescribed measures pertinent to the method of procurement used and the nature of the goods, services or works to be purchased: Specifically this will include – 

• Grouping the goods and services we buy into [product] categories 
• Carrying out category-specific environmental risk assessments; resulting in a risk ranking 
• Development of measures, controls, procedures and checks to managing environmental risk that are relevant and proportionate to the [nature and level of] risk posed 
• A focus on deploying such measures and controls etc. in the product categories with the highest risk ranking.

The environmental risk management measures will, to the extent permitted by law, be applied at the following stages of the procurement process: 

• Specification – of the goods, services or works required
• Selection of Suppliers – for inclusion on tender lists/to supply quotes
• Tendering and evaluation – content of tenders and criteria for bid evaluation and contract award
• Contract management – compliance checks and verification.

This policy will be communicated to our suppliers by publishing it on the Forest Research website and will be implemented under a Forest Research-specific procedural supplement to Operational Guidance Book OGB3aa ‘Buying goods, works and services’.