green-procurement

name	green-procurement
description	Implement green procurement practices including environmental criteria definition, supplier assessment, lifecycle analysis, certification requirements, and impact tracking. TRIGGER when: user says /green-procurement, "green procurement", "sustainable procurement", "eco-friendly sourcing", "sustainable purchasing", "green supply chain".
argument-hint	[category] [spend-threshold] [certification-standard]
user-invocable	true

Green Procurement

Integrate environmental and social criteria into procurement decisions to reduce supply chain impact, meet regulatory requirements, and drive market transformation.

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Input Gathering

Input	Description	Required
Procurement spend data	Category spend, supplier list, volumes by commodity	Yes
Current procurement policies	Existing sourcing guidelines, approved supplier lists	Yes
Environmental priorities	Carbon, water, waste, biodiversity, chemicals of concern	Yes
Regulatory requirements	Mandatory green procurement rules by jurisdiction	Yes
Supplier environmental data	Certifications, emissions data, environmental management systems	No
Product lifecycle data	LCA studies, environmental product declarations (EPDs)	No
Organizational sustainability targets	Corporate net-zero, zero-waste, or circularity goals	No

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Step-by-Step Process

Step 1 — Spend Analysis and Category Prioritization

Identify the highest-impact procurement categories:

Category	Annual Spend	Environmental Hotspot	Prioritization Score
Raw materials	$...	Extraction, emissions, water	High
Energy	$...	GHG emissions (Scope 2)	High
Packaging	$...	Waste, plastics, deforestation	High
Logistics / transport	$...	GHG emissions, air quality	High
IT equipment	$...	E-waste, conflict minerals	Medium
Office supplies	$...	Paper, single-use plastics	Low
Facilities / MRO	$...	Chemicals, energy, water	Medium
Professional services	$...	Limited direct impact	Low

Prioritize categories by: environmental impact magnitude x spend volume x influence ability. Focus on the top 5-10 categories that represent 80% of environmental impact.

Step 2 — Environmental Criteria Development

Define green criteria for priority categories:

Criteria Type	Examples	Application
Mandatory (pass/fail)	Regulatory compliance, banned substance free, no deforestation	All suppliers
Weighted (scored)	Carbon intensity, recycled content %, water efficiency	Bid evaluation
Preferential	Certified organic, circular design, carbon neutral	Tie-breaking
Aspirational	Science-based targets, cradle-to-cradle, net positive	Supplier development

Build category-specific scorecards:

Criterion (example: Packaging)	Weight	Measurement	Scoring Scale
Recycled content	25%	% post-consumer recycled	0-100% = 0-5 pts
Recyclability	20%	% recyclable in standard stream	0-100% = 0-5 pts
Carbon footprint	20%	kg CO2e per unit	Benchmark vs peers
Certified sustainable sourcing	15%	FSC, SFI, or equivalent	Yes/No = 5/0 pts
Supplier environmental mgmt	10%	ISO 14001 or equivalent	Certified = 5 pts
Innovation / circularity	10%	Reuse, refill, take-back model	Qualitative 0-5

Step 3 — Supplier Environmental Assessment

Evaluate existing and prospective suppliers:

Assessment Level	Method	Scope	Frequency
Self-assessment	Questionnaire on environmental mgmt	All priority suppliers	Annual
Desktop review	Public disclosures, certifications	Top 50% by spend	Annual
On-site audit	Environmental compliance, practices	Strategic suppliers	Biennial
Third-party rating	EcoVadis, CDP Supply Chain, Sedex	Top 20% by spend	Annual

Key assessment areas:

• Environmental management system: ISO 14001 or equivalent certified?
• GHG emissions: Does the supplier measure and report? What is the trajectory?
• Water stewardship: Water-intensive operations? Water stress areas? Reduction targets?
• Waste and circularity: Waste diversion rate? Circular design principles?
• Chemical management: Compliance with REACH, RoHS, TSCA? Substance restriction list?
• Biodiversity: Operations near sensitive ecosystems? Deforestation-free sourcing?

Step 4 — Lifecycle Analysis Integration

Incorporate lifecycle thinking into procurement decisions:

Lifecycle Stage	Cost / Impact Factors	Data Source
Raw material extraction	Resource depletion, habitat impact, emissions	LCA databases (ecoinvent, GaBi)
Manufacturing	Energy, water, waste, chemical use	Supplier data, EPDs
Transportation	Distance, mode, fuel type, packaging	Logistics data, EFs
Use phase	Energy consumption, maintenance, consumables	Product specifications
End of life	Recyclability, disposal impact, recovery value	Waste management data

Apply Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) including environmental externalities:

• TCO = Purchase price + Operating cost + Environmental cost + Disposal cost
• Environmental cost = Carbon price x lifecycle emissions + waste management + water use

Compare alternatives on TCO, not just unit price. Document when the green option costs more and quantify the environmental benefit per dollar of premium.

Step 5 — Certification and Standards Requirements

Map relevant certifications by category:

Category	Recognized Certifications	Verification
Paper / wood	FSC, PEFC, SFI	Chain of custody certificate
Food / agriculture	USDA Organic, Rainforest Alliance, Fair Trade	Annual audit certificate
Electronics	EPEAT, Energy Star, TCO Certified	Registry verification
Cleaning products	Green Seal, EPA Safer Choice, EU Ecolabel	Product label verification
Textiles	GOTS, OEKO-TEX, Bluesign	Certificate of compliance
Building materials	LEED-compliant, Cradle to Cradle, GreenGuard	Product documentation
General suppliers	ISO 14001, EcoVadis, B Corp	Certificate or scorecard
Carbon neutrality	PAS 2060, Climate Neutral, CarbonNeutral	Verification statement

Require valid certification copies during onboarding and track expiration dates for renewal.

Step 6 — Impact Tracking and Continuous Improvement

Measure and report on green procurement outcomes:

Metric	Formula / Measurement	Target
Green spend ratio	Green-certified spend / Total spend	> 50% by [year]
Supplier environmental score (avg)	Weighted average of supplier assessment scores	> 3.5/5
Scope 3 reduction from procurement	tCO2e avoided through green choices	[X]% YoY reduction
Recycled content rate	% recycled material in purchased goods	> 30%
Supplier certification rate	% of top suppliers with ISO 14001 or equiv	> 80%
Cost premium / savings	Green option cost vs. conventional baseline	Track and report

Build a quarterly reporting dashboard and integrate green procurement KPIs into procurement team performance reviews.

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Output Format

## Green Procurement Plan — [Organization] — [Categories]

### Executive Summary
- Categories prioritized: [count]
- Suppliers assessed: [count]
- Current green spend ratio: [%]
- Target green spend ratio: [%] by [year]
- Estimated Scope 3 reduction potential: [X] tCO2e

### Category Prioritization
| Category       | Spend   | Impact Score | Priority | Green Criteria Status |
|----------------|---------|:------------:|:--------:|:---------------------:|
| ...            | ...     | ...          | ...      | ...                   |

### Environmental Criteria (by Category)
| Category | Criterion          | Weight | Measurement           | Threshold     |
|----------|--------------------|--------|-----------------------|---------------|
| ...      | ...                | ...    | ...                   | ...           |

### Supplier Assessment Results
| Supplier | Category | EcoVadis/Score | ISO 14001 | GHG Reporting | Overall |
|----------|----------|:--------------:|:---------:|:-------------:|:-------:|
| ...      | ...      | ...            | ...       | ...           | ...     |

### TCO Comparison (Key Purchases)
| Item    | Conventional Price | Green Option Price | TCO (Conventional) | TCO (Green) | Delta |
|---------|--------------------|--------------------|---------------------|-------------|-------|
| ...     | ...                | ...                | ...                 | ...         | ...   |

### Implementation Roadmap
- Phase 1 (0-6 mo): [Policy update, criteria for top categories]
- Phase 2 (6-12 mo): [Supplier assessments, certification requirements]
- Phase 3 (12-24 mo): [Full rollout, TCO integration, impact reporting]

### Recommendations
1. [Prioritized actions]

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Quality Checklist

• Spend analysis completed and categories prioritized by environmental impact
• Environmental criteria defined for each priority category
• Criteria weighted and integrated into bid evaluation scorecards
• Supplier assessment covers environmental management, emissions, and certifications
• Lifecycle perspective applied (not just manufacturing stage)
• TCO model includes environmental cost alongside financial cost
• Recognized certifications identified and required for relevant categories
• Green spend tracking metric established and baselined
• Procurement team trained on green criteria and evaluation process
• Continuous improvement cadence set (annual criteria review, quarterly tracking)

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Edge Cases

• Green option significantly more expensive (>20% premium): Quantify the environmental benefit per dollar of premium; explore volume commitments for better pricing; phase in requirements over 2-3 contract cycles to give suppliers time to scale.
• No green-certified alternatives available in the market: Engage top suppliers in development programs; set aspirational timelines; participate in industry consortia to drive market creation.
• Small or local suppliers unable to afford certifications: Accept equivalent practices with self-assessment and spot audits; offer co-investment in certification costs for strategic small suppliers.
• Greenwashing risk (suppliers making unsubstantiated claims): Require third-party verified claims only; cross-reference certifications against registries; conduct periodic audits of claimed credentials.
• Conflicting environmental objectives (e.g., lighter packaging increases waste but reduces transport emissions): Use lifecycle analysis to identify the net-best option; document tradeoffs transparently; prioritize the objective most aligned with corporate sustainability targets.
• Regulatory divergence across geographies: Build a compliance matrix by jurisdiction; design procurement criteria that meet the most stringent applicable standard; monitor regulatory evolution for upcoming requirements.