Read about: Register for Sustainability Webinar, Member Engagement Report, ESG Barriers, Manufacturing, Tariffs

CAPS asked procurement practitioners to rank the most important ESG factors they consider when selecting suppliers. Safety, Social Sustainability, and Governance were the top 3, suggesting a greater focus on the humanitarian elements of the ESG agenda.

Read about: ESG Requirements, Implementation Drivers, Sustainability Initiatives, Plastic Pollution, Shipping

Across all manufacturing and services industries surveyed, sourcing from suppliers that comply with ethical ESG practices is most important. Interestingly, just over 30% of supply chain professionals feel reducing Scope 3 emissions is important, despite looming regulatory reporting requirements in California and Europe. 

Global freight has increasingly become a focal point as it faces mounting risks and complexities. Recognizing this, CAPS Research is investing more time and research into the area of logistics and freight to build out metrics and best practices. This is critical as our data shows that more and more supply management executives have responsibility in this area. To better understand the role and importance of logistics and freight, we must take a deeper, yet retrospective glance at its significance in our profession.

Read about: Nearshoring Framework and Strategies, Sourcing Steel, Managing Geopolitical Risks, AI Degree, Payment Fraud

In a recent survey of Supply Management leaders, 30% ranked the prioritization of Scope 1, 2, and 3 carbon emissions reduction as a higher than medium priority while the same percentage ranked it as a lower than medium priority, indicating the profession is split on the urgency of carbon reduction actions.

Read about: CAPS Flagship Survey Opportunity, Cost Savings Quick Poll and Top Priorities, ISM Report on Business

Based on recent CAPS survey results, regulatory compliance and customer pressure are the biggest drivers for integrating environmental sustainability into the selection process for suppliers. Product quality and cost reduction seem to be of minimal or no influence, potentially indicating that companies’ efforts are driven more by external forces than internal adoption.

Achieving sustainable business practices has become a top priority for organizations. Companies are looking beyond their own operations and focusing on their supply chain emissions.