Buying with confidence: advice on sustainable procurement

Managing supply chains effectively is key to any successful business. This is particularly true in today’s world of global supply chains and in which civil society, the media and non-governmental organisations demand more transparency. Sustainable supply chain management incorporates the tender process to ensure that proper criteria are included, as well as measures to protect profits, such as business continuity and brand and reputation management.

Introduction

Sustainable procurement should not be confused with green public procurement, which takes into account economic, environmental and social impacts in buying choices. Most companies work to a business model of cost, quality and delivery. However, this approach ignores risk and the longer-term sustainability of suppliers. For businesses to develop greater resilience in their supply chains they have to identify the risks within them. An effective assessment needs to identify not only a risk in relation to lack of access to raw materials – in the case of manufacturers – but also human trafficking or slavery concerns, and implications for environmental impacts and degradation, as well as reputation.

by: Colleen Theron, MIEMA and GASCO, is a director of CLT Envirolaw
Publication: Environmentalist Online
Current: July 2015

Download full article: Buying with confidence