Hits and myths of funding
A letter to The Times, published on Tuesday 11th October
by Rebecca Willis, SDC Vice Chair
Public spending for public benefit has such simple logic, yet time and again opportunities for achieving wider objectives - poverty reduction, environmental improvements, and public health - are missed in the desperate scramble for low prices and efficiency (Cutting costs hits more than efficiency, Sept 27). Yet nobody wants children eating efficient school meals when they could be eating healthy, tasty ones.
The alleged conflict of interest between efficiency and sustainability is a myth. Sustainable procurement is about long-term value and assessing true whole-life costs of purchasing decisions - from buildings and youth services to furniture and light bulbs. Mounting evidence proves that smart spending - choosing products that support the local economy or have minimal environmental impact - creates real value for money and, in the long run, saves money.
Containing over £125 billion a year, the public purse offers a very powerful force for driving positive change. Yet clear public sector leadership is needed. The Government's Sustainable Procurement Taskforce chaired by Sir Neville Simms - a private sector champion of sustainability - is working on recommendations for change. But to become an EU leader on this by 2009, as the Government wants, the tempo needs upping. Even more importantly, all these opportunities apply equally to households and the private sector. Buying sustainably makes good sense all round.
