Sustainability at the source: The role of procurement

In the face of escalating climate challenges, resource scarcity, and shifting regulatory landscapes, sustainable procurement has emerged as a strategic imperative for the built environment. Far beyond a compliance exercise, it is a catalyst for innovation, resilience, and long-term value creation.  

To unlock the benefits associated with procuring sustainable materials, it is important to move beyond the perceived trade-off between higher upfront costs and long-term value. Viewing capital and operational expenditure as a single investment enables more informed decisions, supporting efficient design, reduced material use, and climate resilience; while also creating opportunities for local employment, skills development, and community wellbeing. This approach ensures that value is achieved not only in financial terms, but also through meaningful social and environmental outcomes.  
 
Embedding sustainability into procurement strategies is essential for mitigating reputational and operational risks. As clients face increasing pressure to integrate sustainability into procurement, aligning practices with organisational sustainability objectives, ESG strategies, and regulatory obligations becomes vital.  

At Mace, we partner with clients to ensure procurement is not just a transactional function but a strategic enabler. By embedding sustainability goals into procurement frameworks, we help clients navigate complex environmental and social legislation while proactively managing reputational risk. This alignment ensures that procurement decisions contribute meaningfully to broader sustainability outcomes and business resilience.  

Empowering stakeholders with knowledge and tools  

Sustainable procurement cannot be achieved in isolation; it requires the active engagement of internal teams and stakeholders across the organisation. Equipping them with the right knowledge, well defined plans, tools, and data is critical to implementing sustainable procurement effectively.  
 
Expert guidance – grounded in global best practices and industry standards – plays a pivotal role in advancing sustainable procurement. Practical and scalable solutions, tailored to the specific needs of each organisation, support teams in understanding and influencing the sustainability performance of their supply chains. At the heart of this approach lies access to accurate and reliable data, which underpins informed decision-making and enables effective monitoring of sustainability outcomes.  

Integrating sustainability across the project lifecycle  

Achieving meaningful impact in sustainable procurement requires the integration of sustainability considerations across every stage of project delivery, from initial design through to end-of-life. Rather than being treated as a secondary concern, sustainability must be embedded as a core principle. During the design phase, the environmental implications of materials, construction methods, and design decisions are evaluated to inform choices around retrofit, new build, demolition, and reuse potential. By embedding sustainability criteria as part of whole-life cost assessment, we can stimulate innovative solutions and deliver transformative carbon reductions.  

This commitment must continue through contract stage, where clear sustainability KPIs are established, certification goals are defined, and supply chain intelligence is leveraged. During construction, it is essential to monitor resource use, energy consumption and emissions. In the operational and end-of-life phases, the focus then shifts to promoting low-impact innovation and setting the stage for circular use of materials to deliver sustainable outcomes into the future. This lifecycle approach is strengthened by close collaboration between sustainability and procurement teams, ensuring that ambition is aligned with market insight and delivery capability.  

Driving innovation and social value through the supply chain  

Sustainable procurement is increasingly recognised as a powerful enabler of innovation and social value. It moves beyond the traditional confines of compliance to unlock broader benefits, supporting local employment, nurturing skills development, and enhancing community wellbeing. By embedding sustainability into procurement strategies, organisations can create long-term value that resonates across society while also strengthening resilience and fostering inclusive growth  
 
Engaging the supply chain effectively reduces risk, enhances performance, and fosters innovation. By setting clear sustainability targets and measurable KPIs, and encouraging competition around sustainable practices, organisations can embed a culture of continuous improvement. This approach positions procurement as a strategic function; one that not only supports environmental objectives but also delivers human and societal outcomes, resulting in lasting community legacy.  

Buy well, buy once  

As climate resilience becomes a defining priority for the built environment, procurement is undergoing a fundamental transformation from transactional to long-term-value add. Realising this shift requires not only a redefinition of processes but also effective change management, underpinned by clear communication, robust planning, and proactive stakeholder engagement.   

The future of sustainable procurement lies in its ability to drive innovation, generate social value, and embed resilience across the supply chain. With a holistic, lifecycle-oriented approach and by empowering stakeholders at every stage, organisations are better equipped to deliver outcomes that go beyond regulatory compliance. This evolution supports business continuity and competitiveness, while also contributing meaningfully to achieving a more sustainable world.