Picture a world where every product we buy, every service we use, every supply chain we touch is sustainable by default. Where ethical sourcing isn’t just a priority—it’s the norm. This is the vision of the Sustainable Procurement Pledge (SPP).
On October 17, SPP Ambassadors and global Procurement practitioners gathered online to celebrate how far the profession has come and to fuel an even more ambitious journey ahead. Over the next five years, the SPP community is gearing up to inspire, empower, and unite 1 million people under a shared mission: making sustainable procurement the default, not the exception.
Below is a quick recap of the key discussion points. You can find a full recording of the Ambassador meeting on our SPP YouTube channel here. To stay informed about all of our activities, do join the Pledge via this link.
Recap
SPP Co-Founder Thomas Udesen and CPO of Bayer, reflected on the foundations of sparking a movement that makes a lasting difference. “What started as a conversation evolved into a global community. From a humble pledge posted five years ago, SPP has become a vibrant force, fostering collaboration and turning ambition into action.”. Today Ambassadors from all over the world are using their roles to drive sustainable procurement practices in supply chains everywhere.
Two of SPP’s younger Ambassadors, Kristina Andric from Tetra Pak and Sebastiano Finocchiaro from Booking.com, shared their experiences. Their message was clear: start small, stay resilient, and use technology as a tool for change. They emphasized that sustainable procurement isn’t about grand gestures but everyday actions that add up to real progress.
Their advice? Build collaboration within teams and with suppliers, make thoughtful choices, and remember that every step counts.
SPP’s partnerships are also opening new doors. A new alliance with The Economist Impact will spotlight procurement’s crucial role in transforming business practices and bring its impact to the forefront of global conversations. View the survey findings here.
Our collaboration with Gartner is evolving to make sustainable procurement measurable and actionable. Our next step: the Sustainable Procurement Benchmarking. In this session we ask you, the Sustainable Procurement Community, which data would help you to acceleration sustainable procurement practices.
Key findings of our2024 collaboration, the Sustainable Procurement Pulse Survey, are available here, and Ambassadors have full access to the full report via our SPP Ambassador LinkedIn Group.
Together, these partnerships promise to elevate procurement’s voice in sustainability, helping overcome complex supply chain challenges and motivating companies to take more responsibility in their sourcing practices.
SPP’s Executive Director, Melissa de Roquebrune summed up the spirit of the meeting: “We’re 16,500 passionate and committed SPP Ambassadors today. Next year, let’s be 40,000. Let’s make sustainable procurement the default.” Her words underscored a powerful vision—a world where procurement leads the way toward sustainable transformation.
The time for sustainable procurement is now. Each of us has a part to play in building this future. It’s not only possible; it’s essential. Let’s make this vision a reality and #ProcureTomorrow today!
