via Greenbiz:
According to an August 2007 study by EyeForProcurement, "greening" of supply chains is a growing phenomenon around the world. It got us at SSC wondering, is the SME world following suit?
The survey asked 188 procurement professionals -- primarily in the United States, Europe and Asia -- about their companies' practices, policies and plans for reducing the environmental impact of the materials used in their work.
-- half of companies have policies on greening their supply chain
-- companies are nearly unanimous in their belief that green supply chains will only continue growing
-- two-thirds of the professionals in the survey said that they are practicing green procurement to support their companies' environmental or sustainability strategies
-- half also said they're responding to customers' interest in greener products and services
But are these beliefs actually affecting procurement practices? Although companies are increasingly aware of the benefits and importance of green procurement, most of them are only acquiring a small portion of their materials in that way. Only 13 percent of respondents are sourcing half or more of their products and services sustainably, while 55 percent said they source less than 10 percent of green goods.
At SSC, we think that supply chain issues are a great place to start a sustainability strategy--and we offer a variety of related services. Unlike expensive auditing firms or niche advocacy groups, our supply chain management services allow clients to focus on the social and environmental issues important to them. More importantly, we provide guidance through each step of supply chain management--from supplier auditing to creating a "green" procurement policy--so that even organizations new to corporate social responsibility can feel confident that they are implementing best practices from start to finish.
Contact us today for a free consultation!
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