Responsible Procurement at LSE
We are committed to ensuring that sustainability, ethical considerations and social responsibility are reflected throughout our procurement activities.
Through our purchasing decisions, supplier relationships and contract management arrangements, we seek to support the School's wider sustainability commitments while delivering value for money and maintaining high standards of governance.
Procurement decisions are informed by relevant environmental, social and ethical considerations, alongside operational requirements, quality and cost. We recognise that the goods and services purchased by the School can have significant impacts throughout their life cycle and supply chains. We aim to work with suppliers who support our commitment to responsible business practices.
LSE integrates responsible procurement considerations throughout the procurement process, including:
- development of specifications and requirements;
- supplier due diligence and selection processes;
- contractual requirements and supplier expectations;
- ongoing supplier engagement and contract management.
The extent of these requirements will vary depending on the nature, value, scale and risk of the procurement, allowing sustainability considerations to be applied in a proportionate and practical way.
Where relevant, procurement activities may include consideration of:
- carbon emissions and climate impacts;
- energy efficiency and energy performance;
- resource consumption and environmental impacts;
- waste prevention, reuse and circular economy opportunities;
- biodiversity and environmental enhancement;
- sustainable use of materials and natural resources.
For energy-using products, equipment and services, consideration is given to energy performance and whole-life value where this is relevant and proportionate to the procurement.
The School's Supplier Code of Practice sets out our expectations regarding:
- environmental responsibility;
- ethical business conduct;
- labour standards and human rights;
- modern slavery prevention;
- equality, diversity and inclusion;
- health, safety and wellbeing;
- supply chain management and transparency.
We encourage suppliers to adopt continuous improvement approaches and to work collaboratively with the School to identify opportunities to improve environmental and social outcomes.
We view responsible procurement as a partnership between the School and its suppliers.
Through procurement processes and contract management arrangements, we seek to engage constructively with suppliers on topics including sustainability performance, innovation, environmental improvement and social value opportunities. We welcome suppliers bringing forward ideas that support the School's sustainability objectives and contribute positive outcomes for our community. Suppliers with ideas they would like to discuss are encouraged to contact the Sustainability Team at sustainability.team@lse.ac.uk.
We encourage all our suppliers to the NETPositive Supplier Engagement Tool which generates a free sustainability action plan for your business that is shared with all your Higher Education customers and enables us to chart the progress of our supply chain.
Where sustainability or responsible procurement commitments form part of a contract, these may be monitored through supplier review meetings, performance monitoring arrangements and ongoing contract management.
This helps ensure that agreed commitments are delivered in practice and supports continual improvement in supplier performance and environmental and social outcomes.