Sustainable procurement strategies: Global case studies in trends and best practices
Abstract
Leading organisations around the world are engaging in sustainable procurement and supply chain practices. From Seattle to London, programmes and policies are being established that truly set the standard for their peers. These include the adoption of legislation that establishes minimum standards, participation goals and even preferences for sustainable products. Public and private sector professionals alike are acknowledging the key elements of sustainability, which include environmental, social and economic. The opportunities to create social value through the procurement process are endless. With government buyers in the USA accounting for around 15 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP),1 the power of public procurement should not be underestimated. Similarly, Germany (18 per cent) and UK (16 per cent) procurement professionals have a great impact on their respective economies. According to Harland, organisational goals such as promoting social programmes, delivering environmental sustainability and achieving economic development can all be met through the efforts of public procurement.2 A survey of peer practices around the world can provide a glimpse of what is possible today with sustainable procurement. Opportunities for advancement in this area will continue to present themselves in the future, with only the desire and creativity of an organisation serving as a barrier. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
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Author's Biography
Darin Matthews FNIGP, CPPO, CPSM, C.P.M., NIGP-CPP, is the Executive Director/Chief Procurement Officer for California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, USA. He has over 30 years’ procurement and supply management experience in state and local government, higher education and private industry. Darin speaks throughout the world on a variety of procurement topics and his writings have been featured in Inside Supply Management, Government Procurement and the Journal of Public Procurement. He has served on the faculty of several universities including University of Illinois, Florida Atlantic University, Portland State University and California State University. He holds a BSc degree in business/political science, as well as Master’s degrees in acquisition management and instruction design/technology. Darin is a certified instructor for the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) and served as its president in 2007. He has also served as a board member for the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council and the Public Procurement Research Center. From 2020 to 2022, Darin hosted the podcast, The Evolution of Procurement. His community work includes volunteer and advisory roles for Portland Teen Parent Services, Cascade AIDS Foundation and the Cal Poly Student Food Bank.
Citation
Matthews, Darin (2025, June 1). Sustainable procurement strategies: Global case studies in trends and best practices. In the Journal of Supply Chain Management, Logistics and Procurement, Volume 7, Issue 4. https://doi.org/10.69554/PUOF2020.
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