The Drawdown Labs Job Function Action Guides will help employees understand how their roles are critical in addressing the climate crisis, as well as implement high-impact solutions and navigate key considerations for taking action inside the workplace.
To make your procurement job a climate job:
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Actively seek out and choose suppliers that align with your company’s climate goals, in a way that doesn't inhibit your team’s productivity or business impact.
- Are there particular items you purchase frequently and in large quantities? Can you find climate-friendly alternatives to make a swift, high-impact change?
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Work with the operations team to develop company policies that give preference to sustainable suppliers and require suppliers to adopt science-based emissions reduction targets—and create penalties for noncompliance. (See and use as a template Salesforce’s supplier agreement for your company’s own binding agreement).
- You can also apply a climate justice lens by creating guidelines related to supplier diversity and ethical practices. (See this example from Apple).
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Institute changes across your supply chain processes to maximize efficiency (for example: localized production, backhauling, and low-carbon material transport).
- If you work in direct procurement for your company's own name brand products, collaborate with designers to develop products with low-carbon materials that are optimized for circularity (repairable, upcyclable, and recyclable).
- Invest in systems to gather, store, and use data on how your customers use your products to help you deliver on sustainability goals. For example, you can work with data scientists and engineers to create methods for tracking the use and disposal of your company’s products, helping develop more sustainable products and processes.
- Minimize carbon-intensive business travel for you and your team, and opt for virtual gatherings. If possible, instead of flying, choose lower-carbon travel options, such as the train. Consider virtual meetings for things like contract negotiation. Try to procure locally and regionally to cut down on long-distance travel.
- Build community with other climate-concerned colleagues within your team and beyond. Come together to brainstorm ways you can take action, and raise your collective concern at team and all-staff meetings.