On Tuesday, May 9th, the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) recognized ten organizations and one individual for their leadership in the sustainable purchasing movement, a growing trend in which organizations are using their purchasing power to advance the long term health and vitality of society, economies, and the planet.

The leadership award winners were selected by a prestigious panel of judges. Each employ a wide range of sustainable purchasing strategies and documented the resulting environmental, social, and/or economic benefits in a case study. The awards and awardees include:

Leadership Award for Overall Sustainable Purchasing Program:
The New York State Green Procurement and Agency Sustainability Program
SPLC’s highest honor was presented to The State of New York for having put in place a comprehensive sustainable purchasing program that exemplifies the qualities defined in SPLC’s Principles for Leadership in Sustainable Purchasing. The State established an ambitious interagency green procurement and sustainability program that has created dozens of “green” specifications that serve as a valuable resource for purchasers developing contracts. Through this program, the state has decreased solid waste by 50% since FY 2008-2009 levels, significantly reduced their copy paper purchasing, and virtually eliminated the use of bottled water, among other achievements.

Leadership Award for a Special Sustainable Purchasing Initiative:
Department of General Services, State of California
Presented to The State of California Department of General Services for carrying out a comprehensive spend analysis using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach to estimate the environmental impacts of over $97 billion in spend. The resulting analysis helps to prioritize a wide range of sustainable purchasing activities by the State, and helps to form a baseline to measure progress goals.

Market Transformation Leadership Award:
Shaw Industries Group, Inc. and the Center for Environmental Health
Presented to Shaw Industries Group, Inc. and the Center for Environmental Health.
Shaw’s innovative work to create EcoWorx® - a commercial carpet tile product made largely from reclaimed materials with significantly reduced energy and water consumption, and recyclability. This required forging unique collaborations with supplier and customers, and clearly demonstrates its contribution to the circular economy, having achieved Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Silver.

The Center for Environmental Health's multi-pronged approach is honored for to taking hazardous chemicals out of furniture bought by purchasers, an initiative which has resulted in more than $650 million spent on in safer furniture thus far.

Sustainable Purchasing Business Case Leadership Award:
Apex Clean Energy
Presented to Apex Clean Energy for providing energy security to Fort Hood through a 65.8 MW hybrid renewable energy generation facility that is the Army’s largest single renewable energy project to date. The project will save the Department of Defense about $168 million over the course of 28 years.

Leadership Award for Public Interest Advocacy:
Responsible Purchasing Network and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network
Presented jointly to the Responsible Purchasing Network and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network for their collaboration on the Sustainable Procurement Playbook for Cities, a 200-page resource that is helping cities, counties, and other local governments develop and implement more effective sustainable purchasing programs.
Leadership Award for Purchasing Innovation:
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Presented to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) for their procurement of V-gard Green hard hats made from sugar cane. The hats help PG&E reduce its carbon footprint and increase productivity while meeting standard safety requirements.

Leadership Award for Supplier Engagement:
University of Pennsylvania and Wash Cycle Laundry
Presented to the University of Pennsylvania and Wash Cycle Laundry for their collaboration as a large university and a local SME to create local jobs, foster the growth of an innovative local business, and reduce the environmental impact of UPenn’s laundry services.

Supplier Leadership Award:
Shaw Industries Group, Inc.
Shaw’s innovative work to create EcoWorx® - a commercial carpet tile product made from reclaimed materials with significantly reduced energy and water consumption, and recyclability. This required forging unique collaborations with supplier and customers, and clearly demonstrates its contribution to the circular economy, having earned Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Silver.

Individual Leadership Award:
Sanjay Kumar
Presented to Sanjay Kumar, who currently serves as the Director General for the Indian Railway Institute of Logistics and Materials Management. Over a decade of tireless work at the national transport provider of India, Sanjay’s vision, leadership, and dedicated effort have been fundamental to the growth of the sustainable purchasing movement within his 20 billion dollar national railway company. His work has reduced Indian Railway’s carbon footprint by 1.5 million tons of CO2eq and saved over $9 million per year. Through active collaboration with international entities, Sanjay has become a recognized advocate for sustainable procurement on the global stage.

During the Awards Ceremony, the Council also honored many more organizations with Outstanding Case Study Awards. These awards recognize organizations for documenting their sustainable purchasing efforts in detailed case studies enable others to follow their lead. Winning case studies are published in SPLC’s Case Study Library.

SPLC’s Leadership Awards recognize organizations that have demonstrated or actively supported the kind of leadership envisioned in the SPLC’s Principles for Leadership in Sustainable Purchasing. The Principles state that an organization demonstrates leadership in sustainable purchasing through:

Understanding. Understanding the environmental, social, and economic impacts of its purchasing.
Commitment. Taking responsibility for the environmental, social, and economic impacts of its purchasing by committing to an action plan.
Results. Delivering on its commitment to improve the environmental, social, and economic impacts of its purchasing.
Innovation. Actively promoting internal and external innovation that advances a positive future.
Transparency. Soliciting and disclosing information that supports a marketplace of innovation.


“The winners of these Awards have each demonstrated their commitment to leadership in sustainable purchasing,” says SPLC Executive Director Jason Pearson. “Collectively, they focus the powerful purchasing influence of organizations — in public and private sectors alike — to advance a socially just, ecologically robust, and economically prosperous future. The winners of SPLC’s Leadership Awards exemplify, encourage, and support a constructive cycle of innovation that will define the global marketplace of tomorrow.”

---

---