ISCA
Sector Education

ISCA Enhances Supply Chain Sustainability Through Tailored Procurement Strategies

Discover how Action Sustainability’s review empowered ISCA to lead sustainable procurement in Australia and New Zealand, fostering best practices and innovative supply chain outcomes.

Warwick (3)

The Task

The Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia (ISCA) is a member-based not-for-profit public and private industry council aiming at advancing sustainability outcomes in infrastructure.

Through its IS rating scheme, it has influenced since 2012 over $75 billion in infrastructure and civil works projects or assets across Australia and New Zealand.

Together with our New Zealand partners Tonkin and Taylor, we were commissioned by ISCA to develop the new version of their IS rating scheme’s Sustainable Procurement category.

The objective of this project was to align the category with international best practice whilst ensuring that requirements are practical and realistic for the Infrastructure industry.


The Action

The project included the following activities:

  • Consulting with key stakeholders;
  • Reviewing existing standards and best practice in Australia, New Zealand and at the international level;
  • Designing and developing the new Sustainable Procurement category including credits, detailed requirements and guidance;
  • Industry consultation and feedback;
  • Facilitating webinars and master classes to educate the IS rating scheme audience around the new category.

The Outcome, Benefits and Lessons Learnt

Our review enabled ISCA to position the new Sustainable Procurement category at the leading edge of sustainable procurement, in a context of a massive growth of infrastructure projects in Australia and New Zealand.

Whilst ensuring that the less mature infrastructure projects can still comply with basic requirements, ISCA is now rewarding best practice such as developing sustainable procurement tailored strategies and SMART objectives, generating significant legacy outcomes in the supply chains, engaging early with the market on sustainability issues or supporting suppliers to develop their capabilities and innovate on sustainability.