28. Sustainability
The Council strives to protect and enhance the environment of Devon so that it can make a major contribution to quality of life, support balanced economic growth and make a positive contribution to the global environment. The Council is therefore committed to the achievement of sustainable development that minimises the environmental, economic and social impacts, either locally or globally, associated with the products, services and works it procures. In purchasing supplies, services or new development projects, the inherent sustainable qualities possessed by those purchases are of vital importance to the Council and such qualities therefore form a prime requirement in purchasing decisions to achieve best value for the Council.
The Supplier therefore is required, through its service delivery, to seek wherever practicable by design or supply to conserve energy, reduce waste, use more durable and upgradeable goods, use more sustainable products (i.e. those that minimise environmental, social and economic impacts) and influence their Suppliers to develop same and contribute to the establishment of better sustainable supply chains.