11 November 2009 | Allie Anderson

The procurement team at UK broadcaster ITV must take a broader view of what sustainability means, according the group's CPO.

Speaking at last week's ProcureCon conference in Brussels, group procurement director Angela Porter said the department must learn to consider all sides of corporate social responsibility when making decisions.

"Because we are a creative industry, our people tend to lean towards the social aspect of sustainability but there are other issues and challenges to deal with," she said. "We need people to think with their business heads rather than with their creative heads."

ITV intends to put individuals from all areas of the business, including procurement, in charge of corporate social responsibility and risk management. It also wants to increase the energy efficiency of its sites and buildings, and work with key suppliers to ensure they have a sustainability plan in place.

Porter added her team would be key to successfully supporting sustainability in the future. "Everybody wants to deliver and they are very good at supporting each other. Next year will be very busy for us," she said.

The broadcaster will also focus on the UK government's Carbon Reduction Commitment, which will come into effect in April, to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 1.2 million tonnes of carbon per year by 2020. Porter said ITV's reduction targets are yet to be confirmed, but would likely be in line with a 10 to 20 per cent reduction.

Since joining ITV nine months ago Porter has overhauled purchasing at the company. The department now has greater control over spend and more input on the broadcaster's biggest shows through greater collaboration with production departments (News, 11 May 2009)