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October 8, 2025 In

City of Nelson

From Policy to Practice: How Nelson is Building a Resilient Future Through Procurement

The City of Nelson is committed to building a sustainable, low-carbon, and resilient community. As outlined in Nelson Next and Nelson Path to 2040, the City aims for all municipal operations to be low-carbon and resilient. To achieve this, Nelson is adopting procurement practices that prioritize local, low-emission, and low- or zero-waste products and suppliers. In Spring 2025, the City partnered with Reeve Consulting to develop a more structured and strategic approach to sustainable purchasing.

 

Laying the Groundwork for Sustainable Change

Reeve Consulting worked closely with City’s Procurement, Climate & Energy, and Low Carbon Homes Pilot teams to help them kickstart their sustainable procurement journey. Key activities included:

  • Identifying high-impact procurement opportunities (HIPOs) within the City’s high-spend, high-risk, and high-opportunity categories.
  • Developing a practical, automated tool to embed sustainability criteria into RFx processes.
  • Delivering targeted training on sustainable procurement concepts, including a dedicated session on total cost of ownership.
  • Provided recommended language for an upcoming sustainable procurement protocol.

 

Empowering the City to Lead in Sustainable Procurement

As a result, the City now has clear guidance on priority procurement categories and tools to integrate sustainability into high-value purchasing processes. This positions the City to align future decisions with its low-carbon and resilience goals while sending a strong signal to suppliers.