In today’s climate conscious world, understanding your carbon footprint isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a business imperative. Yet, many professionals still lack a clear understanding of what carbon literacy really means and how it applies to their role, particularly in procurement.
So, how carbon literate are you?
Understanding carbon literacy
Carbon literacy is about more than just knowing what a carbon footprint is. It involves understanding the carbon impacts of everyday decisions- both personal and professional- and knowing how to take meaningful steps to reduce them.
For procurement professionals, this means looking beyond cost and quality to consider the environmental impact of the goods and services you source. It’s about asking questions like: How far has this product travelled? What materials were used? How is the supplier managing their emissions?
Procurement has a vital role to play in achieving net zero goals, by influencing the supply chain and making sustainable choices that reduce emissions across the lifecycle of a product or service.
Why carbon literacy matters in procurement
Sustainable procurement isn’t just about ticking boxes or meeting compliance targets. It’s about creating long term value and building responsible supply chains. The more carbon literate your procurement team is, the more informed your sourcing decisions will be, helping to drive down emissions, reduce waste, and support innovation in green technologies.
From engaging with low-carbon suppliers to incorporating carbon metrics in tenders and contracts, procurement teams can be powerful agents of change.
Accelerate’s commitment to carbon neutrality
At Accelerate, sustainability is something we believe in, and something we champion. We actively invest in certified Climate Conscious Projects to offset 100% of our net carbon emissions, and all of our reporting adheres to the Verified Carbon Standard.
But we don’t stop there. We’ve developed a strategy for ongoing carbon reduction in our day-to-day operations, focusing on behaving and consuming responsibly. We calculate our emissions, have a robust policy to reduce them wherever possible, and invest in credible, verifiable projects to offset what remains.
Looking ahead, we’re planning to dedicate our time and effort directly to supporting these environmental projects on the ground. As a boutique procurement consultancy, we recognise our responsibility to the planet and to society, and we take meaningful, ongoing action to minimise our impact.
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors are central to everything we do. Our commitment to sustainability is not static; it evolves as our business grows, and it will always be a core part of our purpose.
If your business wants to operate a more sustainable procurement function, Accelerate can help.
We offer strategic guidance, tools, and support to embed sustainability into your procurement practices, so you can make decisions that are good for your business and the planet. Get in touch today to see how we can help.