Introduction to the 2nd Edition
Since the first edition of this Guidebook was published in 2021, the topic of sustainable procurement has been increasingly emphasized on national and global platforms. On December 8, 2021, the White House signed an Executive Order into action, which addresses the climate crisis and commits to leveraging the Federal Government’s “scale and procurement power” to achieve clearly defined sustainability goals.1 This includes net-zero emissions from federal procurement no later than 2050 and launching a ‘Buy Clean’ initiative to maximize procurement of sustainable products and services. This Executive Order highlights the necessary role that procurement plays in sustainably conscious endeavors moving forward.
Similarly, the UK’s National Healthcare Service (NHS) has committed to becoming “the world’s first carbon net zero health system by 2040”2. They have outlined clear changes being implemented for the NHS Supply Chain in order to reach this goal. While the US human healthcare sector is less unified, third-party organizations such as Practice Greenhealth exist to provide resources for implementation of sustainable practices in human medicine.
In this edition of the procurement guide we sought to engage more companies servicing the veterinary industry. We also requested additional information such as company size, third party certifications, and objective sustainability metrics. Finally, we have built upon resources for non-medical purchasing and included specific product and company suggestions provided by readers of the first edition.
References:
1 President, E. O. o. t. Exec. Order No.14057. Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability. 2021-27114 (2021).
2 National Health System. NHS Supply Chain. Accessed April 21, 2022