Can the United Kingdom construction industry implement innovative sustainable procurement strategies?

The aim of this study was to examine the implementation of innovative sustainable procurement techniques within the United Kingdom Construction Industry (UKCI) to allow the authors to make recommendations for improvement, promoting the adoption of good practice. The research identified not only a range of benefits from the implementation of sustainable procurement strategies but also barriers to the success of such initiatives. The research extended a previous scoping study and employed a cross-sectional study utilising semi-structured interviews to test the initial findings. The findings from this further research suggests that companies should embrace innovative sustainable procurement strategies in their entirety, embedding strategies fully within the organisation to achieve maximum benefits and cost savings. The cost of implementation should be communicated widely to quell the myth that implementation is expensive. The supply chain should work collaboratively to increase the knowledge of less experienced organisations, leading to increased participation from those more resistant to change. The UK Government should continue to encourage the supply chain to act innovatively and sustainably by improving the awareness of such topics. The research also suggested that where a local supply chain is employed, smaller organisations should be fully supported to access to the correct goods and services, allowing the freedom to employ innovative sustainable procurement policies, therefore meeting the requirements of contractors and clients. Although the UKCI would benefit from a more integrated supply chain, the authors question where support may come from to achieve this.RIC