Sustainable Procurement Initiative

The Danish and global society is now in the middle of the green transition and Danish companies are therefore increasingly being challenged in terms of playing an active role in achieving the ambitious objectives. Therefore, sustainable production and sustainable value streams are high on the agenda in the boardrooms of the majority of companies. Since Denmark is an open economy, and most companies have global supply chains and networks. Sustainable sourcing and purchasing processes are crucial  in achieving the ambitious sustainability goals. The project addresses a critical societal challenge that business is facing: Creating a sustainable future by developing new, greener purchasing methods.

Danish companies have outsourced much of their production to specialist suppliers and sub-suppliers in many parts of the world. This implies that purchasing and supply management is a central parameter for sustainability, and a conversion to green and sustainable operations must be carried out. Many companies across industries have already developed sustainable procurement practices that aim to consider economic, environmental as well as social objectives in purchasing decisions.

However, the transition to making sustainable procurement a significant, strategic priority is difficult and often in conflict with competing conventional procurement requirements such as cost reduction. New knowledge about the current state of sustainable procurement in Denmark is essential to strengthen the sustainable transition. However, knowledge in the area is unfortunately limited, and the complexity and challenges are great. 

The purpose of the project is to support the development of new knowledge and insight within sustainable procurement, so that companies have better opportunities to accelerate their efforts towards more sustainable supply networks and procurement processes. The purpose is ultimately to support higher levels of sustainable supply and production, also when the company's effect on external processes and the country's borders is taken into account. Lastly, the purpose is to use and spread the knowledge that is built up in the initiative in CBS's education programs.

The strategic initiative is divided into two different parts.

• Transitioning towards sustainable procurement
• Sustainable procurement observatory

For more information about these two parts, their activates and the researchers involved please follow the links above and search within the menu features to the left.