Environmental guidance for your business in Northern Ireland & Scotland
More guidance on how businesses can reduce their carbon footprint, by innovation, green procurement, environmental performance improvement plans and by considering global environmental issues.
Additional resources
Video Case Study: How to Reduce Carbon Emissions From Your Business
Reduce your impact on the environment by reducing your carbon emissions.
Good practice
Greener or more sustainable procurement principles can reduce the environmental impact of the goods you purchase and could reduce your costs.
The main theme of green procurement is to consider the life cycle of products as a whole, not just their purchase price. This includes thinking about the:
- materials used in manufacture
- methods of production and embedded energy
- energy use of the product over its life span
- eventual disposal costs and environmental impacts
- potential for re-use or recycling.
You can apply the same principles to a range of goods which are commonly used in the education sector.
Consider using supplies of foodstuff from local suppliers and developing a sustainable food procurement policy.
Further information
General links
GOV.UK: Sustainable public procurement
Forum for the Future: Purchasing for sustainability
EAUC: Green Directory of sustainable goods and services
Commission of the European Communities: Green Procurement handbook (Adobe PDF - 532KB)
Sustainability Exchange: Higher education environmental performance improvement
WWF: Responsible sourcing of forest products
Construction and buildings links
Building Research Establishment: Sustainable construction
Green Consumer Guide: Building products
Sustainable food procurement links
Defra: Best practice in public sector food procurement (Adobe PDF - 364KB)
Innovative technologies, products, processes or services may improve your business. Some 'green technologies' may also benefit the environment and are supported by the environmental regulators.
>> Read our guidance about what you can do and where support can be found for innovation
Take practical steps to manage your environmental performance and save money.
>> Read our guidance on Managing your environmental performance
Customers now expect detailed information about the goods and services they buy.
>> Read our guidance on providing environmental information for your customers
Your road transport business, whatever its size, costs money and can impact on the environment.
>> Read our guidance on how to manage your impacts on the environment
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