COP26 and Procurement

It is encouraging to see that sustainable procurement played a crucial role in the talks at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (also known as COP26).

Recognizing the need to address supply chain impacts on climate change, important resources to help companies, including small and mid-size enterprises, decarbonize their supply chain and achieve Net Zero by 2050 were announced. 

The COP26 talks also noted the important role purchasers have in ending climate change. That’s because the choices procurers make trickle down the supply chain… by “buying better” we can help reduce water scarcity, carbon emissions, deforestation, waste generation, etc.  We can acknowledge the value of sustainable procurement in our bid documents and reward manufacturers/vendors that are taking steps to decarbonize their supply chain.

The SPM Working Group tries to navigate the climate issues and provides sustainable specifications for a variety of goods and services commonly purchased by public procurers.  We recognize that the supply chain can be messy and adding clear specifications will help us buy with better outcomes for the environment and help the Province of Manitoba achieve its Climate and Green Plan goals. 

To learn more on how you can "buy better" for your organization, visit the "Goods & Services" section of the SPM website.