I strongly support a procurement policy within Council that aims to give contracts to local businesses which then supports economic development in the region.
On top of this, I think Council also needs to explore ways to assist businesses to reduce their carbon footprint, particularly:
- reducing transport emissions
- water consumption
- use of single use items such as soft plastics
I recently attended the GreenHouse Alliance Annual Conference where I sat in on a session relating to the circular economy and how council can have impact and work with local businesses through its procurement policies to reduce climate impact.
Circular economy take away’s to support local business:
Council can support local business and align internal circular economy policies by:
- Working with businesses that are committed or open to circular economy initiatives including strategies such as reducing transport (if possible) in the supply chain.
- Obtaining knowledge of the improved circular economy practices each business is using
- Understanding that not all businesses are the same and some can easily adapt to circular economy initiatives while others will struggle due to size, type or model and this should not be a determining factor in the decision making.
CR JENNIFER ANDERSON 