“The acquisition of goods and services—big and small—shapes the world we live in. The choices we make can absolutely make a difference.”

What Is Procurement—and Why Should You Care?

Procurement: The process by which organizations acquire goods and services—is often viewed as a logistical necessity. Yet when approached strategically, it becomes a powerful tool for advancing environmental protection, social equity, and economic resilience.

Sustainable procurement goes beyond compliance. It uses institutional purchasing power to shape markets, support innovation, and drive systemic change. While definitions vary, the core principles remain: align purchasing decisions with broader waste reduction and equity goals to drive environmental protection, social equity, and economic resilience.

Global Standards That Shape Sustainable Buying

According to the ISO 20400 standard, sustainable procurement “meets an organization’s needs for goods and services in a way that benefits not only the organization but society as a whole, while minimizing its impact on the environment.” The ISO20400.org platform offers free resources and a global community of practice to help institutions integrate sustainability into procurement processes.

The Sustainable Procurement Platform reinforces this, emphasizing that sustainable procurement is not just about buying “green” products—it’s about transforming systems through strategic sourcing, supplier partnerships, and performance-based criteria.

The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) outlines three key goals:

  • Optimize environmental, social, and economic impacts across the product or service lifecycle
  • Vet suppliers for fair labor practices and environmental compliance
  • Future-proof organizations against legal, reputational, and resource risks

Circular procurement, which is essentially sustainable procurement with a systems-thinking upgrade, shifts the focus from ownership to product use and service delivery. This approach encourages business models that prioritize resource efficiency, extend product lifecycles, and minimize waste across the supply chain. Increasingly, larger organizations are adopting circular procurement strategies, particularly in sectors where long-term value and operational resilience are key. At its core, circular procurement is driven by the recognition that thoughtful analysis and lifecycle planning can yield significant cost savings over time. By emphasizing access and functionality over ownership, institutions help catalyze the development of innovative business models that underpin a thriving circular economy.

Real-World Examples: Smarter Policies in Technology

In the video Sustainable Procurement: It's Not Just About Being Green, Frances Edmonds, Head of Sustainable Impact at HP Canada, emphasizes that procurement is a powerful lever for driving sustainability, far beyond the limited impact of recycling in a linear economy. She argues that focusing solely on end-of-life solutions overlooks opportunities to embed sustainability at the design and sourcing stages. For example, HP’s Elite Dragonfly notebook incorporates over 80% recycled materials in its mechanical parts—including ocean-bound plastics and recycled magnesium—while maintaining high performance and repairability.

Edmonds introduces tools like the project triage matrix and the balanced scorecard to help organizations prioritize procurement actions and evaluate suppliers across environmental, social, and economic criteria. As she notes, “Sustainable procurement is not a destination—it’s a journey.”  The journey requires a shift from reactive measures to proactive, systems-level thinking.

Policy can also play a catalytic role. For example, Washington State’s DES Technology Leasing Program enables public higher education institutions to convert large IT purchases into manageable operational expenses. The program can also redistribute end-of-lease equipment through the Computers for Kids (C4K) initiative, keeping materials in use longer. Universities struggling to replace equipment could negotiate favorable vendor terms, potentially avoiding budget cuts that impact student services and faculty. This scenario illustrates how public procurement policy can support the economic and environmental pillars of sustainability without compromising educational equity.

Implementation Challenges Remain

A global study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production by Walter Leal Filho and colleagues found that while institutional commitment and stakeholder pressure are strong drivers, many colleges and universities face persistent barriers—such as fragmented policies, limited staff awareness, and opaque supplier practices. The study calls for adaptive procurement strategies backed by training, cross-functional collaboration, and robust evaluation metrics.

Ultimately, sustainable procurement isn't just about buying greener—it’s about aligning purchasing decisions with long-term environmental, social, and financial goals. For students, educators, and administrators alike, it offers a pathway to transform procurement from a back-office function into a frontline game-changing tool.

Reflection Questions

  1. How can procurement be leveraged as a strategic tool to align institutional purchasing with long-term sustainability, equity, and innovation goals?
  2. What role can students and faculty play in embedding sustainable procurement metrics into campus-wide purchasing decisions and curriculum?
  3. How might circular and adaptive procurement models help higher education institutions overcome budget constraints, supplier opacity, and fragmented policies?