The government is said to be beginning a process of assessing the carbon footprint of its supply chains, alongside the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).
Assessing the amount of carbon released into the air through the government's actions can help Britain become closer to being a carbon neutral state, and could lead the way for many private companies to do the same.
Foreign secretary David Miliband said: "I am pleased that the FCO is leading [the] government in the area of gaining a better understanding of the impacts of its expenditure decisions on carbon emissions throughout the supply chain.
"Understanding the carbon emissions and policies of our suppliers will help to embed the sustainability agenda within our procurement decision making."
The issue highlights the importance of the actions of a company's suppliers, as well as simply the company itself.
Any business wishing to take account for its own carbon footprint may decide to outsource its supply chain management, in order to take advantage of a third party's expertise.
Outsourcing supply chain management could also allow business directors more time to focus on more directly pressing matters.
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