Sustainable Procurement Strategy
Our supply chain plays a crucial part in ensuring that we are a responsible, innovative business.
We spend more than £2.5 billion per year within our supply chain and are constantly assessing ways in which we can deliver better value to passengers and society.
We operate in accordance with the ISO 20400:2017 guidance standard for sustainable procurement. This is an internationally recognised standard aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. We believe that consistent, respectful relationships with our suppliers is vital to delivering our shared goals.
Sustainable Procurement Charter
We were the first company in the transport sector to publish a charter on sustainable procurement.
The charter was designed to align with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. It outlines our sustainability priorities, and the areas where we mandate minimum standards from suppliers, alongside those areas where we aspire to work with our suppliers to deliver more complex sustainability goals.
We have set 17 priority areas in the charter, including environmental and employment standards (e.g. no zero hour contracts), equality, diversity, good health and wellbeing.
Working with SMEs
At Go-Ahead, we’re focused on connecting communities and keeping cities moving. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) form the backbone of our society, providing livelihoods and services to thousands of people every day.
Three-quarters of businesses in our supply chain (some 3,200) are SMEs. They include businesses that focus on smart ticketing software, mobile app providers, bus spare parts providers and building maintenance and infrastructure improvement suppliers. We are setting targets to work with more in the upcoming years.