Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
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Overall Score | 80.17 |
Liaison | Mike Wilson |
Submission Date | May 5, 2020 |
University of Victoria
OP-11: Sustainable Procurement
Status | Score | Responsible Party |
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3.00 / 3.00 |
Part 1. Institution-wide sustainable procurement policies
A copy of the policies, guidelines or directives:
The policies, guidelines or directives:
Sustainable procurement practices are mandated and required by UVic’s purchasing services to follow the directive set by the university-wide UVic Sustainability Policy. This policy states that “Sustainability Activities will require the balanced use of resources within budgetary parameters and will utilize life cycle assessments and purchasing practices based on Social, Environmental and Financial considerations” (Section 10.00). The purpose of this policy is to further the goals as set out in the University’s Strategic Plan in which one of six priorities is to “Promote Sustainable Futures” through a variety of sub-strategies.
Purchasing Policy (FM5105, Aug 2017)
The purpose of the UVic Purchasing Policy is to “set out the responsibilities and accountability associated with the purchase of goods and services at the University of Victoria” (see page 1 under “Purpose”). One of the Guiding Principles is to “Provide responsible optimization of resources by obtaining best value, using sustainable stewardship practices in concordance with life cycle assessments and triple bottom line considerations that recognize financial, social and environmental impacts of purchases” (see page 2, section 8, subsection c). In addition, under the General Guidelines for Purchasing Procedures, it is outlined that “Purchasing officers will abide by the Supply Chain Management Association of Canada’s Code of Ethics” (see page 6, section 9, subsection e). The Supply Chain Code of Ethics explicitly states on page 2 the Environmental and Social Responsibilities as follows:
•“Members shall exercise their responsibilities in a manner that promotes and provides opportunities for the protection and preservation of the natural environment. Members shall favour the use and distribution of resources in an efficient, effective, and ethical manner. Members will be cognizant of the social rights extended to all people, including the conventions of the International Labour Organization with respect to labour standards, and will encourage and support supplier diversity. These attributes of sustainability should guide members in their decisions, and in implementing the policies and values of the organizations they represent.”
Sustainability Action Plan: Campus Operations 2020-2021
The purpose of the Sustainability Action Plan (SAC) is to “identify a set of short-term strategies, actions and associated metrics for the interim period between the close-out of the 2019 plan and the development of the next five year plan anticipated in 2021” (see page1 under “Purpose”). Specifically, in the Purchasing section of this plan, the mission statement is “To provide purchasing and supply management services to the campus community that achieve best value and apply triple bottom line principles to procurement initiatives, incorporating financial, social and environmental consideration sot supply management decision” (see page 12).
Procurement Guidebook
The purpose of the UVic Procurement Guidebook is to help interpret UVic procurement policies and procedures and to give guidance on procurement decision-making. The primary focus is on sourcing related decision-making as this has the broadest applicability across UVic. In particular on page 8 of the guidebook, it is recognized that “Procurement must hold itself to a high ethical standard in sourcing the materials and services the business requires and must comply with UVic’s Code of Conduct.”
Supplier Code of Conduct
The University Of Victoria Supplier Code Of Conduct is intended to support the vision of UVic becoming “a global leader in environmental, social and institutional sustainability through our research, academic programs, campus operations, and the impact and influence of our students, faculty, staff and alumni.”(see page 1 under “Purpose”). It aligns with the triple-bottom-line procurement goals identified in UVic’s Sustainability Action Plan, as well as the International Labour Organization’s Declarations on Fundamental Principles and Rights of Work, the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. It applies to all Suppliers who provide goods or services to the University of Victoria, as well as their subcontractors. It establishes the minimum ethical, social, and environmental standards expected of the UVic Suppliers. Failure of the Supplier to adhere to the provisions of the Supplier Code of Conduct could be a breach of contract and could result in termination of the contract (see page 1 under “Scope”)
Part 2. Life Cycle Cost Analysis
Which of the following best describes the institution’s use of LCCA?:
A brief description of the LCCA policy and/or practices:
For example, UVic’s new Student Housing and Dining facility (set to be fully open in 2022/2023) has incorporated LCCA in order to recognize its true worth to and impact on the university and its surrounding environment and community. It is utilising high performance Passive House design principles that aim at reductions in energy consumption, GHG emissions, maintenance costs, and replacement costs over the long term.
Part 3. Product-specific sustainability criteria
To count, the criteria must address the specific sustainability challenges and impacts associated with products and/or services in each category, e.g. by requiring or giving preference to multi-criteria sustainability standards, certifications and labels appropriate to the category. Broader, institution-wide policies should be reported in Part 1, above.
Chemically intensive products and services
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for chemically intensive products and services:
UVic Janitorial Services state explicitly in this policy their commitment to using low environmental impact cleaning system in all buildings (see page 6, section 3.3). These systems include:
• Chemical dilution systems
• Cleaning materials
• Janitorial paper products
• Trash bags
• Cleaning products
They aim to meet this commitment by using Green Seal, Ecologo or Forestry Stewardship Council certified products for at least 80% of its cleaning products and materials by cost (see page 6, section 3.3).
Consumable office products
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for consumable office products:
• “Provide responsible optimization of resources by obtaining the best value, using sustainable stewardship practices in concordance with life cycle assessments and triple bottom line considerations that recognize financial, social and environmental impacts of purchases” (see page 2, section 8, subsection c).
It is also stated that:
• “Purchasing Officers will abide by the Supply Chain Management Association of Canada’s Code of Ethics” (see page 6, section 9, subsection e), which entails:
o Environmental and social responsibilities: “Members shall exercise their responsibilities in a manner that promotes and provides opportunities for the protection and preservation of the natural environment. Members shall favour the use and distribution of resources in an efficient, effective, and ethical manner. Members will be cognizant of the social rights extended to all people, including the conventions of the International Labour Organization with respect to labour standards, and will encourage and support supplier diversity. These attributes of sustainability should guide members in their decisions, and in implementing the policies and values of the organizations they represent.” (see page 2)
As an example of office supplies adhering to the UVic purchasing policy, the paper standard at UVic has been 100% post-consumer recycled content waste for all bond paper supplies used in printers and photocopiers since 2008. In addition, all copier toner is recycled, a requirement for each department which is written into agreements with Ricoh and Kyocera.
In addition, the UVic Supplier Code of Conduct section 10, page 4 outlines the Environmental Commitment all Suppliers are required to adhere to. Specifically, Suppliers will:
• a. ensure all waste materials, as a by-product of production, are treated and disposed of properly in an environmentally responsible manner
• b. seek out leading industry practices aimed at conserving natural biodiversity, resources, and spaces; reducing carbon emissions and habitat loss; and increasing recycled content; and
• c. obey land use agreements, including without limitation those preserving wild spaces and indigenous use
Furniture and furnishings
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for furniture and furnishings:
For example, UVic’s office standard furniture comes from Calstone’s line of environmentally friendly furniture with a zero waste manufacturing process. UVic also has strategic alliance contacts with approved furniture suppliers that offer furniture made from renewable resources, such as wood certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, or with recycled materials. All manufacturers UVic deals with are committed to the health and wellness of their clients and the environment by producing products that are Green Guard Certified and/or manufactured in factories that are ISO 14001 certified.
Information Technology (IT) and equipment
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for Information Technology (IT) and equipment:
• Purchasing hardware configurations that consume less power
• Implementing an organization-wide power management policy that utilizes industry-best practices and enforcing their use throughout
• Modifying these policies as necessary based on individual business needs, measuring the savings, and reporting the results back to management
As a result of this, UVic’s standardized laptops, workstations and monitors from Dell, Lenovo and Apple are all EPEAT Gold certified when available.
Food service providers
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for food service providers:
• Increasing the percentage of sustainable Ocean Wise seafood options they offer
• Choosing local suppliers and ingredients whenever possible
As a result, there are currently 18 food suppliers of UVic that are from Vancouver Island or mainland British Columbia.
They additionally work to be more sustainable by continuing reduce waste while enhancing diversion in campus food outlets, as outlined in the Sustainability Action Plan: Campus Operations 2020-2021. Their current diversion rate is 84% (see page 11), and they aim to grow this number through specific actions such as:
• Implement a hot beverage single-use cup that displays “how-to-dispose” instructions
• Introduce a user fee for single-use hot beverage cups
• Discontinue the sale of plastic bottled beverages
• Investigate using the new “Food Traks” inventory management tool to reduce food waste in UFS operations
• Develop a collaborative education and awareness campaign that focuses on waste reduction in UFS operations.
Garments and linens
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for garments and linens:
Professional service providers
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for professional service providers:
• Design and construct green building projects that meet the highest environmental standards as project budget allows
• Select environmentally preferable products whenever feasible
• Design to minimize waste (water, material and energy waste) using integrated design of systems to reduce life cycle costs
• Optimize and manage water use
In addition, the Supplier Code of Conduct ensures that all suppliers who provide services to the University of Victoria, as well as their sub-contractors will comply with specific criteria outlined in the document. This includes provisions related to the following areas (see full Supplier Code of Conduct for detail)
• Wages and Benefits (see page 3, section 6)
• Hours of Work (see page 3, section 7)
• Discrimination (see page 3, section 8)
• Health and Safety (see page 4, section 9)
• Environmental Commitment (see page 4, section 10)
Transportation and fuels
A brief description of the published sustainability criteria for transportation and fuels:
In addition, the Sustainability Action Plan: Campus Operations 2020-2021 Transportation section outlines in particular two goals related to transportation and fuels. They are:
• “Continue to increase the use of transit, cycling, walking and carpooling to 70% of the transportation modal split”
• “Harmonize fleet management with the Clean BC Plan goal of a 40% reduction in fleet emissions by 2030”
To see actions associated with these goals, see pages 12 and 13 of the Sustainability Action Plan.
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Sustainability Action Plan: https://www.uvic.ca/sustainability/assets/docs/uvic-sustainability-action-plan-2020-2021.pdf
Procurement Guidebook: https://www.uvic.ca/purchasing/assets/docs/guideline-procurement.pdf
Supplier Code of Conduct: https://www.uvic.ca/purchasing/assets/docs/uvicsuppliercodeofconduct.pdf
Purchasing Policy: https://www.uvic.ca/universitysecretary/assets/docs/policies/FM5105_1750_.pdf
Capital Development: https://www.uvic.ca/facilities/service/projects/guidelines/index.php
New Housing and Dining Facility: https://www.uvic.ca/campusplanning/current-projects/new-student-housing/index.php
Green Cleaning Policy: https://www.uvic.ca/facilities/assets/docs/Green%20Cleaning%20Policy%20and%20Program.pdf
Information on Sustainable Purchasing (including paper, furniture, and sweat-shop free garments): https://www.uvic.ca/sustainability/topics/purchasing/index.php
Furnishings, Fittings, Finishes and Artwork: https://www.uvic.ca/universitysecretary/assets/docs/policies/BP3130_6415_.pdf
Green Computing web page: https://www.uvic.ca/systems/services/computerssoftware/greencomputing/index.php
Food services website: https://www.uvic.ca/services/food/about/vision/index.php
Facilities Management Consultation Information Package: https://www.uvic.ca/facilities/assets/docs/consultant-info-package%20/Consultant_Information_Package_Mar2017.pdf
Motor Vehicle Policy: https://www.uvic.ca/universitysecretary/assets/docs/policies/AD2315_6810_.pdf
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.