Sustainable Procurement and Purchasing Policy

Policy Statement

• Products and services with the lowest whole-life environmental impact.

• Purchasing from local and regional suppliers, producers and SMEs.

• Suppliers that respect labor rights, fair-trade principles and environmental law.

• Circular-economy practices: reduce, reuse, refurbish and recycle.

Purpose

• Make all sourcing ethical, transparent, accountable and sustainable.

• Manage institutional funds through fair, competitive processes.

• Build environmental, social and economic sustainability into every purchasing decision.

• Strengthen the local economy by buying from local businesses, SMEs, cooperatives, social enterprises and women- and youth-led businesses.

• Reduce the University's carbon footprint, energy and water use, and waste.

• Set clear sustainability expectations for suppliers and contractors.

Scope

Definitions

• Local supplier: a business, producer or cooperative registered and operating in Palestine, with first preference to those in Nablus and the northern West Bank. A local product is made, grown or processed in Palestine.
• Sustainable product or supplier: one that shows lower environmental impact (energy or water efficiency, recycled or low-toxicity content, reduced packaging, responsible production), fair labor practices, or a recognized certification such as ISO 14001, energy labels, FSC, organic, Fair Trade, Global G.A.P. or equivalent.

• SMEs and social enterprises: micro, small and medium enterprises, cooperatives and enterprises with a social mission.

Principles

1. Fairness, transparency and accountability: open competition, equal opportunity, documented evaluation criteria and visible decisions.

2. Legal and regulatory compliance: national law, donor and funder rules, trade agreements and internal governance.

3. Sustainability and resource optimization: decisions weigh whole-life cost and environmental, social and economic impact, including carbon, energy, water, packaging and waste.

4. Ethical standards and responsible supply chains: fair labor, no forced or child labor, safe workplaces, environmental compliance and fair-trade principles; conflicts of interest are declared and managed.

5. Innovation and continuous improvement: digital procurement, tracked sustainability indicators, benchmarking and ESG metrics in supplier evaluation.

6. Local economic development and inclusion: local suppliers, SMEs, cooperatives, social enterprises and women- and minority-led businesses are actively included. Local sourcing is prioritized where quality and value-for-money criteria are met.

Sustainable Procurement Requirements by Category

1. Equipment, IT and electronics: buy energy-efficient models with recognized energy labels; prefer repairable, upgradeable equipment with long warranties; require supplier take-back or certified e-waste recycling at end of life.

2. Construction, maintenance and building materials: use sustainable and locally produced materials where available; require energy- and water-efficient systems, insulation and renewable energy where feasible; contractors manage construction waste responsibly.

3. Energy and utilities: give preference to renewable energy, including on-campus solar, and to energy- and water-saving technologies.

4. Paper, office supplies, furniture and cleaning products: prefer recycled or FSC-certified paper, refillable and low-packaging supplies, durable or refurbished furniture, and non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning products. Digital processes replace paper where possible.

5. Food and catering: cafeterias, catering and food outlets, whether run by the University or by contractors, give preference to food from local farmers, cooperatives and small producers, and to seasonal, sustainably produced food. Imported items are bought only when no local equivalent meets quality, safety or price requirements. Produce from University farms is offered first to campus outlets. Contracts require healthy, affordable meal options, measures to reduce and donate surplus food, and records of product origin.

6. Vehicles, transport and services: prefer fuel-efficient, hybrid or electric vehicles, and service providers that apply sustainable practices and fair labor standards.

7. Packaging and single-use plastics: suppliers minimize packaging, use recyclable or reusable materials, and avoid single-use plastics where alternatives exist.

Supplier Evaluation

Purchasing Services may raise the local and sustainability weight for categories where local supply is strong, such as food, furniture and building materials.

Tie-break rule: when two bids score within 5% of each other, the contract goes to the local or more sustainable bidder.

Evidence: suppliers declare product origin and provide certificates or production records. Purchasing Services can verify these through site visits or audits.

Responsibilities

1. Director of Purchasing Services: enforces the policy, includes sustainability and local criteria in all tenders, keeps a register of approved local and sustainable suppliers, and reports results.
2. Purchasing Services: writes sustainable specifications with departments, runs life-cycle cost assessments, sets up framework agreements with local and sustainable suppliers, and records the origin of each purchase.

3. Contractors and service operators (including catering, cleaning and maintenance): meet the sustainability clauses in their contracts and report on them as required.

4. Sustainability Office: monitors compliance and includes results in the University's annual sustainability report.

5. Faculty and staff: follow this policy, avoid unnecessary consumption, choose local and sustainable options, and use paperless processes.

Surplus Assets and Disposal

• E-commerce and low-value purchases: commercial cards and online platforms follow the same local and sustainability preferences and financial controls.

• Restricted goods and services: need technical or environmental review before approval.

Monitoring and Reporting

Targets are measured against a 2026 baseline.

Review

• Effective Date: October 12, 2016

• Revised: 20 June 2024

• Last updated: 17 May 2026