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Sustainable Procurement Goals & Initiatives

All university purchases consist of raw materials that were extracted, turned into a manufactured product, and transported from origin to destination. The cumulative carbon footprint of these activities is referred to as a good’s “embodied carbon.” This embodied carbon can be measured and compared with that of similar products and contributes to the university’s scope 3 emissions. Responsible purchasing therefore contributes to the university’s goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Reduced and/or sustainable packaging choices also help the university achieve its goal to be zero waste by 2030. Finally, inclusive supplier practices lead to positive social impact in alignment with the university’s IDEAL initiative

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and waste, Stanford has set three goals when it comes to climate-friendly procurement:

  • Procure from climate-friendly suppliers
  • Procure climate-friendly products
  • Promote reuse culture, material circularity and source reduction

To find out more about how you can help achieve these goals, see the tips on the Sustainable You | Purchasers page. Individual programs that support these goals are described below.

Responsible Purchasing Program

Through the Responsible Purchasing Program, Stanford provides user-friendly tools & resources to make sustainable and inclusive purchasing easier across campus. Visit the Responsible Purchasing page on Fingate to learn more about the tools & resources available.

Sustainability Supplier Engagement Program

The ESG department regularly engages with the university’s top suppliers to convey our sustainability principles, collect climate data, identify partnership opportunities, facilitate sustainable purchasing (especially from catalog vendors), and provide resources to help improve sustainability practices (especially for small and diverse vendors).

Supplier Diversity Initiative

Given the critical role of the supplier, an initiative spearheaded by Financial Management Services (FMS) is underway to develop, pilot, and implement a program that will expand and continuously improve the integration of exceptional and diverse suppliers, contractors, service providers, and business partners. Co-sponsored by the Office of Institutional Equity, Access and Community, the initiative has completed its discovery stage and now moves into a pilot with schools and units to test new tools and practices that could be implemented university-wide. Learn more on the initiative’s project page

Everyone in the Stanford community has a role to play in sustainable purchasing. Whether you’re a student receiving packages, a lab manager purchasing chemicals, a faculty member booking a flight, or a staff member purchasing office suppliers, your purchase makes a difference! 

Sustainable You

Collectively, everyone on campus has the purchasing power to influence the global supply chain. Visit Take Action for university guidelines, vendor considerations, and shopping tips.

View Purchasing Tools