Kick starting green procurement
Web Posted - Mon Jul 02 2007
By Janelle Husbands
HAVING articulated the policy, it has been recommended that Government now set the trend in procuring things green . The recommendation came from Sydney Symmonds of Global Development Services as he spoke on the topic Kick Starting Green Procurement at a recently held seminar hosted by the Ministry of Energy and the Environment. His comments came as he revealed findings of a recently conducted survey, where several businesses were asked whether they would participated in a Eco-labelling programme or procure green goods, even though it would not increase their bottom line.
What was fascinating is that some 52 per cent of the businesses surveyed said yes they would. So we have a platform on which we can talk about Green procurement and the transforming of Barbados from its current procurement method, and current consumption method into a whole green method.
The concept of greening was well articulated by the Prime Minister in his budgetary statement but I believe that to make this into practice is going to consider considerable effort and change in the consumption patterns he said.
He said this will call for the emergence of a new lifestyle and encouraging the consumer to change his or her buying habits, which he noted, could be assisted by the retailers. Symmonds suggested that procurement is done on three levels, the public sector level, the private sector and the personal level of consumption.
If we are to transform Barbados over the next three to five years it is our recommendation that Government should set the trend in procuring things green. He noted that this could range from changing to Eco-friendly paint to the type of office furniture bought.
He noted that already countries have established their own Eco-marks such as the Nordic Swan and the Euro flower. Across the world there are many labels and many countries that have in fact, put Eco-labels on several products. Across the spectrum, more countries are moving to produce green items and to label them. So it is a question of education, knowledge and informing people.
If we are to kick start, we are going to have the Chamber off Commerce, the Small Business Association, the Manufacturers Association, the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association, all of these have to incorporate into their policy and influence their members to move in the green direction.
He said that while the responses from the business community have been favourable, there was a lack of knowledge in some areas.
To this end, Symmonds suggested that longer-term incentives will be needed along with ongoing workshops and seminars to urge business owners to move away from traditional suppliers towards a gradual increase of green products in their inventory.