Economic and Social Impact in FY24

UC Berkeley

Berkeley Elevates Purchasing with New BearBUY Dashboards

In November 2023, UC Berkeley revolutionized campus purchasing by launching Guided Buying Dashboards in BearBUY. These intuitive dashboards simplify the shopping experience with vibrant, user-friendly tiles, helping faculty and staff find items and suppliers in a snap. Highlighted tiles showcase small business suppliers, supporting UC’s commitment to diverse purchasing. These new tools streamline navigation and enhance the user experience, transforming the campus shopping experience. BearBUY’s latest upgrade ensures a smooth, efficient and more BEARable purchasing process for all!

UC Berkeley

Berkeley Leads the Way in Sustainable Procurement

UC Berkeley is partnering with Amazon to collect blue and white Amazon mailer bags for repurposing. Dow Chemical is evaluating potential use cases for this initiative. Berkeley has been recognized by Amazon Business as one of their top 10 most sustainable customers globally. The university is also collaborating with EcoVadis to monitor and manage sustainability and compliance risks across their supply base. Currently, $4.34B of UC Procurement spend is tracked through EcoVadis ESG scorecards, including year-over-year GHG emissions data. These efforts demonstrate Berkeley's commitment to sustainability in procurement.

UC Davis

UC Davis Empowers Small and Diverse Businesses

UC Davis is making significant strides to expand opportunities for small and diverse businesses through its annual Small and Diverse Supplier Expos. Launched in 2021 by UC Davis Supply Chain Management, these Expos aim to bridge the gap between local suppliers and the complex university procurement process. This year’s event, held jointly with UC Davis Health at the Oak Park Community Center in April 2024, welcomed over 125 suppliers eager to learn how to become registered suppliers and access university contracts. Supported by partnerships with local chambers of commerce, including the Sacramento Asian American, Black, Hispanic, and Rainbow Chambers of Commerce, the Expo also featured guidance from the State of California Department of General Services on certifications and resources. With a 15% increase in the small and diverse supplier list, UC Davis continues to drive inclusive economic growth in the region!

SWP - Travel

Earth Month Flyover Series on Sustainability

UC Central Travel celebrated Earth Month 2024 by hosting the Earth Month “Lunch Flyover” webinar series with a series of engaging 20-minute webinars exploring sustainability with various travel suppliers and UC partners. Each session was a unique opportunity to learn about our travel suppliers’ dedicated efforts towards sustainability and how we can all contribute to a greener future. From innovative eco-friendly travel solutions to actionable sustainability practices, over 800 UC participants joined these sessions packed full of sustainability gold.

SWP - Travel

Sustainable Travel Webpage Informs Travel Choices

The Central Travel Office launched a dedicated Sustainability webpage based on last year's Annual Travel Survey results that indicated UC travelers’ interest in exploring non-travel alternatives based on emissions and other environmental impact data. This resource supports ongoing education by featuring a valuable "Should I Stay or Should I Go" decision tree, empowering travelers to understand the environmental impact of their travel. By offering this tool, we aim to help travelers make informed choices, embodying the ethos of "Travel Smarter, Travel Better." 

SWP - Travel

Sustainability Spotlight: Travel Emissions Reporting

The Central Travel Office is spearheading an initiative to track and report travel-related emissions between UC campuses and health centers. This aligns with UC Health's commitment to the White House/HHS Health Sector Climate Pledge, which includes business travel in its greenhouse gas reporting requirements. By gathering key data from campuses and travel agencies, the project will contribute to UC's comprehensive CO2 emissions reports, advancing our sustainability goals. We're calling on all partners to ensure Business Unit details are included in profile feeds, helping meet our climate responsibility targets.

SWP - Travel

First UC Sustainable Travel Fair

With UC Central Travel, Berkeley hosted UC's first Sustainable Travel Fair on November 7, 2023. Faculty, staff and students interacted with travel suppliers, including Hertz, Marriott, Southwest and many others. Based on the success of this first-time event, Berkeley will host an annual Sustainable Travel Fair, and UC Travel is eager to plan sustainability fairs at other UC campuses in coming years.

SWP - Information, Analytics & Systems

SWP Upgrades Supplier Diversity Tracking

Systemwide Procurement (SWP) has introduced a new bi-annual data enrichment process to improve supplier diversity tracking across the UC system. Previously, annual updates from Supplier.io often overwrote critical data fields, making it difficult for stakeholders to monitor supplier diversity progress. The new process, piloted in January 2024 and implemented based on stakeholder feedback in June, ensures more accurate, timely and comprehensive updates while preserving historical data for tracking. This change provides greater visibility into supplier diversity growth over time and equips UC Procurement with better reporting tools, demonstrating a strengthened commitment to advancing supplier diversity systemwide.

SWP - Facilities, Maintenance & Capital

Get Rolling with E-Bikes!

In our commitment to sustainability and accessibility, SWP launched the e-bike discounted purchase program to offer students, staff, and faculty an affordable and eco-friendly transportation alternative. We partnered with four awarded vendors to offer a range of eBike models, cost-effective pricing, maintenance support, and a commitment to promoting eco-friendly transportation solutions. E-bikes not only revolutionize commutes for staff and students, but also contribute to a greener and more vibrant campus environment.

SWP - Food & Hospitality

UC Boosts Sustainability and DEI Reporting in Food Services

UC is taking a major step forward in advancing sustainability and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) reporting within our food service and retail operations. To increase visibility into these key metrics, UCOP has partnered with MaetaData to capture and analyze invoice transactions from its distributors. MaetaData's cutting-edge supply chain technology provides crucial transparency into product ingredients, sourcing, and certifications. This data will convert spend percentages for plant-based options, sustainability attributes, and DEI initiatives, empowering UC campuses to generate customized, strategic reports. These insights will drive progress towards campus diverse spend goals. The first reports will be delivered in late September 2024.

SWP - Food & Hospitality

Creating a Sustainable Food Supply Chain

In summer 2023, UC Systemwide Procurement met with farmers, producers, & buyers at a Regenerative Meat Summit hosted by UC Davis Food Systems Lab and Roots of Change. The Summit helped strategize on how to meet UC’s economic, ecological and health goals by developing a supply chain of high-quality regional meats based on regenerative practices and driving a regenerative agriculture movement in California. It was also part of a three-year USDA-funded project to increase food supply chain resilience and revitalize rural economies. Regenerative agriculture also offers many small and diverse business opportunities. UC will play a pivotal role in developing a more sustainable food supply chain by reaching its goal of procuring 25-30% plant-based, sustainably, and ethically produced food and beverage products by 2030. 

SWP - Impact, Policy & Compliance

Sustainable Procurement: SWP Leading the Way

The Impact, Policy & Compliance (IPC) team is driving impactful change with a series of new initiatives. This year, we launched the first-ever UC Systemwide Sustainability Retreat and updated our Sustainable Procurement RFP scoring strategies, setting new benchmarks for sustainable practices across campuses. We also improved the Green Spend Reporting Process, ensuring ongoing progress in sustainability reporting. 

Additionally, we created and/or strengthened important partnerships, including with the Alice Waters Institute, SWP Strategic Sourcing, the UCOP Sustainability Team, and the Global Climate Leadership Council (GCLC). Lastly, we are proactively tackling the growing number of sustainability legislative requirements, further solidifying UC’s leadership in sustainable procurement and climate action. 

SWP - Impact, Policy & Compliance

UC Partners with WBEC Pacific for IDEATION Event

As a proud sponsor of the Women’s Business Enterprise Council (WBEC) Pacific's IDEATION 2024, a conference held at UC Berkeley, UC supported an inspiring event bringing together industry leaders, innovators, and women-owned businesses. The event provided a platform for meaningful discussions on cutting-edge topics, like the impact of AI on business growth and supply chain performance, and facilitated connections between diverse suppliers, corporations and UC. We look forward to continuing our partnership with WBEC Pacific and supporting initiatives that empower women entrepreneurs and diverse suppliers.

SWP - Impact, Policy & Compliance

Driving Supplier Diversity and Creating Community and Economic Impact

Systemwide Procurement (SWP) is making significant strides in supplier diversity and community engagement through partnerships with key organizations like NMSDC, WBENC, NGLCC, Disability:NA, and NaVOBA. Exciting collaborations include the XPRIZE Foundation on the Supplier Diversity Challenge, launching the Access to Capital and Community Impact & Development Subcommittees of the UC Supplier Diversity Advisory Council, and forging a partnership with the City of Oakland. SWP is supporting student start-ups through the UC Innovation & Entrepreneurship Office and Cal Big Ideas program and working with the UC Alumni Association to amplify community-driven initiatives. By advancing campus Supplier Diversity Action Plans and working with the UC Office of Investment, SWP is boosting opportunities for small and diverse suppliers, reinforcing UC’s commitment to positive community impact.

UC San Diego

UC San Diego Boosts Small and Diverse Spending by 6%

In 2023, UC San Diego’s procurement team strengthened its collaboration with small and diverse businesses through the second round of its Success Strategies initiative. By engaging 13 buyers and partnering with 12 diverse entities across eight key commodity categories, the initiative led to a 6% increase in spending with diverse suppliers. Achievements included certification renewals, new vendor setups, and campus-wide catalog implementations, enhancing supplier relationships and visibility. These efforts have not only strengthened supplier relationships but also improved strategic alignment and visibility across campus. Next, the team aims to expand services and boost vendor engagement, and are poised to drive further innovation and support diverse businesses through 2024 and beyond. 

UC San Francisco

UCSF Boosts Supplier Diversity and Earns National Recognition

UCSF’s Supplier Diversity and Inclusion program has increased local, small, and diverse spend from 6% in 2020 to an impressive 17.3% in FY24. A key initiative was the introduction of diversity labels in BearBuy, allowing users to easily identify and prioritize purchases from diverse suppliers. In recognition of these and other efforts, UCSF’s Supply Chain Management team received the prestigious NAEP Supplier Diversity Award, celebrating their commitment to fostering an inclusive procurement environment. Additionally, UCSF hosted Restorative Justice Circles, providing a platform for open dialogue and strengthening community relationships. These achievements highlight UCSF’s dedication to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion through strategic procurement practices, innovative initiatives and community partnerships.

UC San Francisco

UCSF Logistics Champions Sustainability with New Initiatives

In 2024, UCSF Supply Chain Management Logistics made significant strides in sustainability with two key initiatives in 2024. The department’s Energy Efficient Freezer Program, honored at the Chancellor’s Sustainability Awards, is transforming lab freezer use, reducing energy consumption and costs. Additionally, UCSF added its first electric vehicle (EV) to the logistics fleet, lowering carbon emissions and setting a new benchmark for sustainable campus transport. These efforts highlight UCSF’s dedication to innovation and sustainability, proving that impactful environmental change is possible through thoughtful initiatives and collaboration. The department’s ongoing commitment to sustainable practices is helping to drive UCSF’s mission to reduce its carbon footprint and support a healthier planet. 

UC Santa Barbara

UCSB Wins Award in Sustainable Electronics Procurement

UC Santa Barbara was recognized as a 2024 EPEAT Purchaser Award winner, celebrating leaders in sustainable electronics procurement. The award comes from the Global Electronics Council (GEC), the non-profit organization that manages the EPEAT ecolabel. EPEAT allows UC Santa Barbara to efficiently address the lifecycle impacts of the electronics we purchase, including computers, displays, printers, copiers, network equipment, mobile phones, servers, photovoltaic modules, inverters, and televisions. We use EPEAT in purchasing contracts to require that our vendors only provide electronics that meet strict sustainability criteria. These products are more energy efficient, less toxic, longer lasting, and easier to recycle than products that do not meet EPEAT criteria while addressing labor and human rights issues along the entire supply chain.