Wal-Mart’s ethical sourcing – Green does not mean ethical. Despite what Wal-Mart says are some marked improvements at its supplier factories, the retailer’s recent ethical sourcing report is being met with scepticism

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As the world’s Green IT frenzy continues, e-procurement specialist Peter Robbins talks to key members of the Department for Work and Pensions’ EDT, Delivery and Transformation Group Chris Haynes Director and Damien Kennedy, head of business partnerships.
- Where do you see green IT at the moment?
- What do you see as the future of green IT?
- Where do you see procurement sitting within the future green IT agenda?

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The Mayor of London’s defines Green Procurement as part of the Green Procurement Code.

“Green procurement is environmentally responsible purchasing; it’s about using your purchasing power to promote productive use of resources and materials. This involves integrating environmental considerations into all stages of the purchasing process. . . . . .”

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China Daily spotted a very interesting white paper published by Arthur D Little on Cost Reduction and Revenue Generation through Sustainable Procurement. The white paper looks at how leading businesses are benefiting from a sustainable approach to procurement through reduced costs, lowered risk levels, increased stakeholder value and increased scope for innovative products and pricing.

“.. in this paper we explore the drivers behind a sustainable approach to procurement, its influence on CEO’s overall accountability, and how such an approach can be placed in the context of the wider strategic choices facing a company. We outline the profile of a “sustainable” supplier and present a view of the spectrum of
procurement strategies taken by today’s companies.”

The full white paper ‘Green Purchasing Power’ can be downloaded from Arthur D Little

This increased focus on sustainable procurement policy is driving more organisations to partner with the likes of The Achilles Group and Avaro to manage their supplier management information.

The Achilles Group (www.achilles.com) - Achilles works to identify, qualify, evaluate, and monitor suppliers on behalf of major organisations worldwide. We build and support buyer-supplier communities in many industry sectors, creating unique and powerful global networks.  Our services for sustainable procurement help create opportunities for business and reduce risk in the supply chain.

Aravo (www.aravo.com) - Aravo’s mission is to solve complex, expensive problems for our clients without introducing unnecessary complexity and expense in doing so. Aravo’s flagship Supplier Information Management (SIM) platform was built from the ground up to solve today’s toughest supplier management challenges while delivering the flexibility to meet tomorrow’s needs as they emerge. From supply management to sustainability to risk management and compliance, Aravo SIM offers proven features and functionality to meet all of your supplier information management needs.

Arthur D Little (www.adl.com) - We are a global management consultancy specializing in strategy and operations management, serving major corporations and organizations worldwide. We are recognized as leaders in linking strategy, innovation and technology to solve our clients’ most complex business issues, delivering sustainable solutions. We are distinguished from others by our deep industry insight and technology expertise. We are proud of our creative people with their commitment to our clients.