Policies & Processes

The Value of Supplier Codes of Conduct: Supporting Transparency and Improving Performance

This white paper, by Ardea International, offers a comprehensive look at supplier codes of conduct. It covers their role in creating accountability and transparency and explains how to implement them effectively.

Model Sustainable Purchasing Policy (Direct Download)

This model policy created by the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) offers a readymade template to help you create a sustainable purchasing policy.

Supplier Code of Conduct

A high-level overview of supplier codes of conduct by Ecovadis. It summarises supplier codes of conduct, including what they are, how to develop and monitor them, and their benefits.

ISO 20400 [PAY TO USE]

The first international standard for sustainable procurement created by the International Standards Organisation (ISO).

Explore Market: It can help inform your pre-planning process by offering guidance on integrating sustainability criteria into procurement processes, engaging with suppliers, and assessing sustainability risks.

Policies and Processes: The standard can be used to help develop and implement sustainable purchasing policies and processes.

Review: The measuring and improving performance section provides techniques to implement and continually improve sustainable procurement. 

Public Procurement For A Circular Economy: Good Practice Guidance

This guide by the European Commission includes the section "Organisational Policy for Circular Procurement" on pages 6 and 7. The section briefly outlines practical considerations for creating a circular procurement policy or incorporating the circular economy into existing policies.

Supply Chain Sustainability: A Practical Guide to Continuous Improvement

This guide from the UN Global Compact and BSR outlines practical steps that your company can take to achieve supply chain sustainability. This resource provides a wide array of introductory information to better acquaint you with sustainable procurement, such as developing the business case; establishing a vision and expectations for your supply chain; explaining the key aspects of engagement with suppliers; and determining roles and responsibilities. The step-based guide also includes helpful examples that highlight best practices.

The Buyer Code

The Buyer Code provides model language for setting out the steps that purchasers can take towards supporting positive human rights outcomes. It promotes the shared-responsibility approach of the UNGPs and the OECD Guidance on Due Diligence for Responsible Business Conduct, and articulates detailed standards that fall under six categories: institutional commitments; selecting suppliers; negotiating the contract; performing and renewing the contract; remediation for human rights harms; and disengagement and responsible exit.

Lululemon’s Conundrum: Good Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives and the Persistence of Forced Labour

This report from Governing Forced Labour in Supply Chains (GFLC) highlights that having supply chain policies and codes in place does not ensure they are upheld at the site level. Using the case of Lululemon, which has has four policies addressing supply chain labour exploitation, it shows that there are significant challenges in ensuring their effectiveness. This is because responsibility to implement and monitor these policies is largely delegated to suppliers and there is a lack of information needed to assess their efficacy.