From the World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Large corporate paper and wood buyers are making progress but still have a long road toward incorporating sustainability into long-range purchasing strategies, according to a new survey out this week.
The report, by the Portland-based nonprofit Metafore, examines the environmental reporting activities of the Fortune 100 companies to see where wood and paper purchasing practices fit in the overall context of environmental issues facing companies today.
Metafore conducted its survey through conversations, reviews of existing reports, Web site research, and interactive surveys. The responses to Metafore's inquiry offer firsthand insight into the experiences and challenges companies face when integrating environmental criteria into their purchasing decisions.
The survey shows that while several North American-based businesses have successfully implemented responsible forest product purchasing practices, only a few Fortune 100 companies see a strong connection between wood and paper purchasing and the environmental impacts on their businesses.
The environmental reputation of suppliers ranks a distant third behind price and performance when it comes to the factors influencing wood and paper product purchases. Supplier reputation ranks first, however, among the environmental criteria companies consider when selecting vendors.
The report is quick to stress that awareness of the need for responsible purchasing practices is definitely on the rise.
"There are a small number of global companies demonstrating strong leadership in environmentally responsible wood and paper purchasing," said Sam Doak, executive vice president of Metafore. "There is also a growing interest among many others to learn about how to include environmental and social objectives in business decisions."
The organization hopes its findings will help highlight the opportunities of incorporating environmental and social objectives into business decisions, and the potential of achieving their goals by collaborating with their peers and stakeholders across the supply chain.
"We all rely on wood, paper, water, clean air, a stable climate, and other products of forests to conduct business," said Doak. To that extent, "every business is in the forest business."
