How purchasing has the potential to provide more room to sustainability, climate and the environment

Sustainability (or Socially Responsible Procurement SRP) is not a new term in the purchasing industry. Socially responsible procurement means that you use purchasing to achieve more sustainability. And to prevent negative effects on the environment and social aspects.

Climate and environment are business! And purchasing makes little use of it

For many years, sustainability requirements and wishes have been included in tenders to a greater or lesser extent. Often in the form of (minimum) criteria, which are imposed on the bidders by the government / client. For example, the MVI criteria tool was developed on behalf of Rijkswaterstaat, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. The tool contains purchasing criteria for 45 product groups. And the central government has committed itself to always using these criteria in tenders.

But developments in the field of climate and the environment are not stagnant. And, although initiated by the government, the real leaders in this shift towards sustainable purchasing are the companies. The business community, in cooperation with universities, is constantly working on new solutions and applications. These find their way to the market in no time at all. Innovation in the areas of sustainability, climate and environment has become an important differentiator for organisations in competitive markets. Climate and environment are business!

Purchasing can make better use of the market’s expertise in the field of climate and the environment.

Why do we, as a purchasing organisation, make so little use of innovation? We use criteria that, once established and included in the tool, are in fact already outdated. Wouldn’t it be better to use the expertise of the market in the field of climate and the environment? And offer companies the opportunity to distinguish themselves? The more room is offered, the more it pays for organisations to invest in sustainability. It will only improve the climate and the environment.

The Best Value Approach is aimed at optimising the use and application of expertise from the market. For years, the Best Value Approach has been used worldwide to achieve better results for projects by giving the market maximum opportunity to use their own expertise instead of prescribing how providers carry out their assignments. And therefore an excellent method for getting sustainable and innovative solutions out of the market.

Would you like to know more about how you can optimise your socially responsible purchasing practice with the Best Value Approach? Please contact us.