How Can Corporate Procurement Tackle the Climate Crisis? - Business in the Community

How Can Corporate Procurement Tackle the Climate Crisis?

This factsheet sets out how Chief Procurement Officers (CPO) and procurement leaders can support their businesses to act on climate change.

This factsheet sets out how the role of the modern Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) and procurement leaders can support their businesses to act on climate change. Changing expectations of consumers and investors and the increasing costs associated with managing the risks of climate change means that the corporate procurement function needs to adapt to influence the creation of a net-zero carbon, resilient supply chain.

How an organisation responds to the climate crisis is increasingly significant in how that business’s performance and future viability is measured. Investors, institutions, and governments are asking questions, creating structures, and introducing formal measures to increase action.

Accessing the right data and supplier engagement

To understand how Chief Procurement Officer / CPOs can play a part in the green recovery from COVID-19, Business in the Community (BITC) convened a roundtable discussion with CPOs and procurement leads from our responsible business network. This discussion sought to understand the influencing power of procurement, the challenge of moving beyond the price and accessing the right data, and supplier engagement.

Leveraging action on climate change

The move to a net-zero economy provides both a challenge and an opportunity for procurement professionals. The challenge is the high level of carbon emissions from the supply chain; the opportunity is that CPOs and procurement leads are uniquely positioned to use procurement to leverage action on climate change.

The conversation continues

If you would like more information about how your business can support this agenda, or about upcoming events or content related to this topic, please contact your BITC Relationship Manager.

Business in the Community and action on the environment

BITC works to inspire and support our members, working with both those who are on the journey and those yet to start. Through guidance, resources and events, we equip businesses to set targets, and develop inclusive action plans with employees, suppliers and community stakeholders.  We also campaign for government action to support these actions.

We want every business to become climate positive, which starts with developing a robust, science-based climate resilience strategy with ambitious net-zero carbon targets.

This is an important issue and development area for our members. If you would like more information to take action, or related events or content, contact your BITC Relationship Manager. 

Find out more about BITC’s climate action work.