ISO 20400:2017 – Standard for Sustainable Procurement:
The International Organization for Standardisation (ISO) published for the first time an international standard for sustainable procurement in April of this year. The new ISO 20400:2017 standard is aimed at all types and sizes of organizations, regardless of their respective activities and should help to achieve a more sustainable procurement. In this context, it’s not only the ecological aspects that are of importance but also social and economic sustainability.
Basically, the revised ISO 20400 builds on the guideline for Corporate Social Responsibility (ISO 26000) and serves as a link between the ISO 26000 and individual supply chain initiatives. On the one hand, the standard supports companies in lessening financial, environmental and reputation risks. On the other hand, it gives advice on the selection of suppliers, the configuration of order execution and the definition and integration of sustainability criteria. In comparison to the ISO 14001, the ISO 20400 is used solely as a guideline and is not a certifiable Management System Standard.
Arqum has also supervised supply chain initiatives within an international context (see also the article on the Continental project in this issue). We would be pleased to help you and your suppliers with a first analysis and with any specific follow-up projects.
Your contact at Arqum: Jens Haubensak
