Sustainable Procurement Projects

The UC Annual Sustainable Procurement Summit takes place March 14-15 at UC Santa Cruz!

All interested Procurement and Sustainability staff are invited to join this Sustainable Procurement Working Group (SPWG) hosted event at UC Santa Cruz. This summit will focus on education and training related to upcoming Sustainable Practices Policy updates for Procurement. There will also be presentations by internal and external experts on various areas of interest in sustainable procurement.

Look for updates and information on currently active SPWG Projects:

  • Supplier Sustainability Assessment (Scorecard) Tool - this project is focused on piloting a web-based sustainability scorecard tool that can be used systemwide to assess our suppliers operational practices (environmental, economic and social), provide compliance with policy (examples include: Trademark Licensing Code of Conduct, Sustainable Practices Policy, etc.), mitigate risk and drive supplier sustainability practices for the better.
  • Sustainable Practices Policy Updates – there is a major overhaul underway of the Procurement sections of UC’s Sustainable Practices Policy. A Guidelines document will now accompany policy and both documents are currently under evaluation. New policy changes include clear minimum requirements/guidelines by select product categories, goals for procurement “green” and “social/economic” spend, best practice guidance and more!
  • Supplier Diversity Business Case – this is an initiative focused on developing a concise proposal for revamping UC’s supplier diversity programs. Focus will be on the benefits supplier diversity programs bring to an organization like UC; outlining a vision, mission and shared goals; and some description of longer term investments. The business case will help inform leadership decisions and necessary policy changes. 

If you have questions about the Summit or any of the projects listed above, contact Stephanie Lopez (stephanie.lopez@ucop.edu).

Sustainable Procurement Dates to Remember

EVENT DATE         
DESCRIPTION
UC Annual Sustainable Procurement Summit @ UCSC Mar. 14-15 All Procurement and Sustainability staff are invited to join this Sustainable Procurement Working Group hosted event at UC Santa Cruz. This summit will focus on education and training related to upcoming Sustainable Practices Policy updates for Procurement. There will also be presentations by internal and external experts on various areas of interest in sustainable procurement.
California Higher Education Sustainability Conference @ UCSB Jul. 9-12 This is an annual sustainability conference jointly organized by independent / private colleges, California Community Colleges, California State Universities, and the University of California. It is being hosted by UC Santa Barbara. Please note that proposals for speaking are due Feb. 16th. Topic areas include Green Building, Procurement and Business Services, Social Equity, Transportation, Waste Reduction and Recycling and more!