Sustainable Procurement Policy (including Fairtrade)

We recognise that procurement has a significant impact on the environment and, as such, we are committed to reducing this impact as much as possible. This Sustainable Procurement Policy reflects the principles for a pan-university procurement strategy, production, and service; and is in keeping with the University’s wider environmental sustainability policies, Climate Action Progress and commitment towards the People and Planet Campaign.

We identified expanding our approach to Sustainable Procurement as a priority in our Annual Report of 2025: see page 33 at Durham University Annual Report 2025 Our Sustainable Procurement Working Group (SPWG) has been meeting regularly during the 2025/26 academic year. In the primary group, the University’s approach to Scope 3 emissions reporting and target setting has been under discussion, with plans in place to broaden our current approach, baselining current procurement emissions and setting clear milestone dates for how we will become more transparent on both our reporting and target setting processes. The next expected output from the group is a scope 3 roadmap, to be published in the first term of the 2026/2027 academic year. With the emissions reporting process on the horizon, the group is set to meet in July to discuss the expansion of scope 3 emissions reporting.

The Fairtrade subgroup is leading work to re-certify the University as a Fairtrade University. Significant work has been undertaken and this has informed gathering of substantial evidence for the relevant criteria. The group continues to document activities and progress, as well as to plan events, campaigns, focus groups, and other initiatives. The certification audit will take place in May 2027.

The purpose of this policy is to outline the University’s position in relation to the management of  sustainable and ethical procurement and its commitment to the
Fairtrade University Award. 

Read the policy: Sustainable Procurement Policy (July 2023)

We currently include sustainability standards in procurement agreements across the university. Specific steps taken in food and IT are detailed below.

Food

Specific work on sustainable food procurement is referenced within our Sustainable Food Policy which requires that sustainability standards are embedded within all tenders and contracts with external contractors, including 

- maximising the use of seasonal and local produce

- prioritising products and services that can be manufactured, used, and disposed of in an environmental and socially responsible way

- using fish from sustainable sources

- selecting fair trade products.

The policy states that we have a “responsibility to procure food in a sustainable manner” and “to work with our suppliers to promote a procurement ethos of buying products locally” as well as working “with our contracted supplier for produce to try and maximise seasonal produce and aiming for vegetables to be locally sourced where possible.” It commits to giving “preference to products and services that can be manufactured, used, and disposed of in an environmental and socially responsible way”.

We are working closely with our produce supplier, Foodbuy, to provide further information to diners on food provenance and nutrition and this was noted in our Food Made Good report “We were also impressed by your carbon carbon-rated menu initiative, as well as work underway with Foodbuy to provide more information around provenance and nutrition on your menu via a QR code and app.”

IT

We also work on ICT procurement, for example through inclusion of sustainability elements in tenders and agreements to ensure server providers are well aligned to our sustainability ambitions. Our approach to sustainable IT also focuses on reducing waste, extending the life of equipment, and minimising the environmental impact of technology across the University. 

The University is a member of the North Eastern Universities Purchasing Consortium (NEUPC). Sustainability expectations are embedded within the framework and included in tenders. Specific accreditations (e.g. ISO 14001, ISO 50001, EMAS) are assessed but not mandated as fixed requirements.

The Servers, Storage and Solutions Notional Agreement requires suppliers of Digital Infrastructure to:

• Adhere to Procurement England’s (PEL) Sustainable Procurement Policy and Supply Chain Code of Conduct.
• Disclose details of first and second tier supply chain to Electronics Watch (of which Durham University was a founding member in 2015) to ensure supply chain labour conditions can be assessed and assure effective use of public funds.
• To provide relevant information required for scope 3 emissions reporting upon request.

Wherever possible, existing devices are reused, refurbished and redeployed before new equipment is purchased. This "equipment amnesty" approach helps maximise the value of existing assets, reduces electronic waste, and lowers the environmental impact associated with manufacturing new devices. 

The University's IT hardware lifecycle process supports sustainable decision-making from procurement through to end-of-life management. This includes extending device lifespans, redeploying equipment where appropriate, and ensuring secure and responsible disposal when assets can no longer be used. The University has also moved away from refreshing devices purely because they have reached a certain age. Instead, replacement decisions are based on technical performance and suitability for users' needs. This ensures equipment remains in service for as long as it continues to meet operational requirements, helping reduce resource consumption and unnecessary procurement. When equipment reaches the end of its useful life, the University follows strict procedures for the secure reuse, recycling and disposal of devices, particularly those containing data storage components. This ensures valuable materials are recovered where possible and electronic waste is managed responsibly. Staff and students can learn more about this approach on the following SharePoint pages, CIS Cost Saving Initiatives, Hardware Refresh Guidelines and Hardware Lifecycle Process.

To reduce the environmental impact of deliveries, hardware orders are consolidated and delivered on designated days each week to central campus locations. Equipment is then distributed locally by IT teams, typically on foot or, where necessary, using electric vehicles. This approach reduces vehicle movements across campus and supports more efficient logistics. 

Significant energy savings have been achieved through investment in more efficient data storage technologies. Traditional storage systems that relied on large numbers of spinning disk drives have been replaced with modern solid-state storage solutions. Because solid-state drives have no moving parts, they use considerably less energy while also improving performance and reliability. 

This upgrade has enabled the University to replace approximately two full server racks of legacy storage equipment in each data centre with a much smaller and more energy-efficient solution, delivering substantial reductions in electricity consumption and associated carbon emissions. 

The University also promotes energy-efficient use of technology through initiatives such as the automatic overnight shutdown of desktop computers. Reducing unnecessary power consumption outside working hours helps lower energy use across the IT estate while maintaining essential services