Did Kermit the Frog Have It Right?
Robert Menard, Certified Purchasing Professional, Certified Professional Purchasing Consultant
Do you recall Kermit’s melancholy refrain, It Ain’t Easy Being Green? It ain’t easy being green for business buyers either. Are photovoltaics, electric cars, wind turbines, geothermal heating and, cooling, Energy Star, LEED, Corporate Social Responsibility, passive solar, alternative fuels just buzz words or the real green deal? Frustratingly, the answers are yes, no, and it depends. Even after we separate the truly green from the greenwashing, we then must learn how to go green.
Giants like Wal-Mart, Proctor & Gamble, GE, UPS, American Airlines, and hundreds of other leaders in industry and commerce have already adopted sustainability. The fact of business life is that sustainability is driven by cost savings which equals purchasing. Organizations large and small share the leadership strategy of assigning the purchasing profession to harvest the cost savings that translate to sustainability. Whether the green initiative is energy conservation, reducing/reusing/recycling, managing storm water runoff, re-lamping facilities, using alternative fuels, or any other sustainable initiative is all about saving money.
Click here for a two minute video on bringing a green purchasing seminar to your organization.
What is more, the sustainability goals of virtually every business cannot be met by the organization alone so they are being passed down throughout their supply chains. Even if your company is not currently engaged in green purchasing, your customers may soon mandate it.
Employers are already seeking to hire green purchasing pros. Make your self more valuable to existing and prospective employers by learning all you can about going green. Lead the green revolution and reap cost savings with the new Green Purchasing and Sustainability online course. It is all about hard how to advice authored by purchasing pros for purchasing pros on going green in all the major areas under purchasing’s control.
Indeed, Kermit had it right, but the Society is making it easier for purchasing pros to be green.