Proximity purchase of goods and services
Baseline strategy · No scoreIt prefers suppliers and services close to the current supply when they provide equivalent quality, reducing transport and sustaining the local economy.
How it works
It prefers suppliers and services close to the current supply when they provide equivalent quality, reducing transport and sustaining the local economy.
It considers materials and components throughout extraction, manufacture, transport, use, maintenance and recovery to conserve value and reduce impacts.
When does it make sense?
- Before you specify or purchase materials and products
- Where functionally comparable alternatives exist
- With life cycle data and a realistic maintenance and end-of-use plan
How to apply it
- 1
Defining what needs resolves "procurement of proximity to goods and services" and establishing a starting position.
- 2
Compare alternatives and adapt design to climate, use, regulation, affected people and available resources.
- 3
Apply with clear responsibilities, check the actual result and correct unwanted effects.
Potential benefits
Lower carbon life cycle
Less extraction and toxicity
More retained value
Limitations and precautions
- Closeness does not amount to less impact: a local product produced intensively can be worse than an efficient distant one.
- An isolated label does not replace the comparison of the entire system.
- Durability, security, quantity used and end-of-life scenario can change the result.
Keep Exploring
Related strategies
