The power of procurement: Driving sustainability through the supply chain

Simon Lipscomb is joined by Nicole Darnall, Professor and Arlene R. and Robert P. Kogod Eminent Scholar Chair in Sustainability at American University, to discuss the powerful role procurement can play in driving environmental and social change across global supply chains.

Drawing on her research and experience advising the US General Services Administration, Nicole explores why sustainable procurement remains such an important lever for change, even as the political and regulatory landscape shifts. From tackling Scope 3 emissions to navigating inconsistent supplier data, she explains what organisations need to do to move beyond sustainability policies and embed sustainability into everyday procurement decisions.

This episode covers:

• Why procurement has the potential to drive sustainability and social change throughout global supply chains
• How the changing political and regulatory landscape in the US is influencing corporate approaches to sustainability
• Why Scope 3 emissions are critical to understanding an organisation's true sustainability impact
• The growing role of AI in helping procurement professionals navigate sustainability data and increasingly complex decision-making
• Why AI presents a sustainability paradox, creating its own environmental impacts while also offering tools to help procurement make more informed decisions

Listen to the podcast below: