Procurements play a key role in responsibility policy at HUS. Procurement decisions influence for instance how much energy and materials will be consumed over the life cycle of the products and services procured, and how large the volumes of greenhouse gas emissions and waste will be.

“Responsibility for the common good” is one of the strategic goals of HUS. As a tax-funded and significant social actor, we are required to operate by adhering to special responsibility and ethicality. We discharge this responsibility in the form of environmental responsibility, social responsibility and good governance. Our goal is to be carbon neutral by 2030 and to abide by sustainable development in all our operations.

The principles governing ethical procurement comprise HUS policies on the one hand and general requirements for public procurement on the other. The public sector has both the power and an obligation to use their procurement power in an ethical way. Total public sector procurement in Finland amounts to about EUR 35 billion per year (Confederation of Finnish Industries 2020) and thus has a significant impact on the properties of products on the market. Ethical procurement allows us to reduce harmful environmental impacts and emissions and to promote the sustainable use of natural resources throughout the life cycle of any given procurement. Moreover, the decision-in-principle adopted by the Government of Finland on June 13, 2013 also requires both central and local government to favor energy-efficient and environmentally friendly (‘cleantech’) solutions.

Good for the environment

It is outlined in the HUS procurement strategy that HUS can and desires to influence the product and service offering to achieve positive environmental impacts(Procurement strategy, HUS Executive Board, June 6, 2016). The HUS procurement guideline stresses that environmental impacts must be considered at the procurement planning stage. Procurement decisions influence how much energy and materials will be consumed over the life cycle of the products and services procured, and how large the volumes of greenhouse gas emissions and waste will be.

HUS is committed to a continuous reduction in environmental impacts(HUS environmental policy, HUS Executive Board, May 9, 2016). HUS aims to achieve smarter resourcing, less waste and less of a load on the climate(HUS environmental program 2016–2020).

Ethical procurement management

HUS Logistics procurements comply with HUS responsibility targets, and responsibility aspects are incorporated into our normal procurement procedures. HUS Logistics manages procurements according to the category model. Category strategies have been drawn up to group together procurements of a similar nature. These include responsibility targets. In addition to the differing aspects of the various categories, the category strategies comply with HUS policies and general requirements for public procurements.

Responsibility targets are developed jointly with customers and suppliers

The category teams manage procurement need and set procurement-specific targets. Thus, the responsibility targets in the category strategies are deployed to individual procurements. The category teams support procurement experts in competitive tendering projects and in attaining targets. Market dialog is an important part of procurement preparation, and responsibility is one of the themes raised in discussion with suppliers. The HUS Logistics procurement organization is regularly given themed training in ethical procurement. Procurement experts are supported by the Guide to Ethical Procurement for hospital districts, the criteria in which are applied in strategic product groups.

After a competitive tendering project is completed, the category teams continue working with stakeholders during the agreement period. Categories allow us to monitor and develop responsibility targets jointly with customers, suppliers and other partners. Category teams are also responsible for HUS Logistics procurement agreements; agreement monitoring and the imposing of any sanctions needed is also done by the category teams. HUS Logistics actively participates in the work of national procurement development working groups and aims in multiple ways to promote ethical procurement in its own operations.