The UC Sustainable Procurement Working Group (SPWG) gathered in October at UC San Diego for a two-day retreat to advance sustainable procurement impact across the UC system. In-depth sessions delved into 2024 green spend data results, needed revisions to the UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines, alignment with new AASHE STARS 3.0 guidelines, and enhancing sustainability and diversity considerations in the RFP process.
Day 1: Improving Green Spend Reporting and Updating Guidelines
The retreat opened with a comprehensive analysis of green spend data as part of the 2024 Sustainability Annual Report. A newly implemented data collection process, shaped by feedback from the February 2024 retreat, yielded successful results. Participation surged to 29 suppliers, up from 19 the previous year, with over $90 million in spend analyzed. The findings were promising:
• 69% of electronics met UC’s green spend criteria.
• 91% of indoor office furniture aligned with sustainability goals.
• 45% of cleaning supplies and 24% of office supplies met minimum or preferred green standards.
The afternoon session focused on needed revisions to UC Sustainable Procurement Guidelines, last updated in 2021. Topics included new California regulations, healthy vending standards, and addressing challenges in food packaging and furniture procurement.
Day 2: Aligning with STARS 3.0 and Strengthening Responsible Procurement
Day two spotlighted the new procurement credits included in the latest version (3.0) of the Sustainability Tracking and Reporting System (STARS) developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). UC undergraduate campuses report into the AASHE STARS system and meeting these standards is critical to UC's goal of maintaining gold and striving for platinum ratings in the STARS framework. One of the STARS credits covers Supplier Codes of Conduct and a key session included reviewing the draft UC Supplier Code of Conduct, later approved by the Procurement Leadership Council (PLC). This Code of Conduct emphasizes UC’s commitment to ethical and sustainable supplier practices and enhances UC’s rating within the STARS system.
Afternoon discussions centered on updating the Economic and Social Responsibility (EaSR) section of the Sustainable Procurement Guidelines and strengthening sustainability and diversity requirements in the RFP process. These updates are pivotal for aligning procurement practices with UC’s broader sustainability and equity goals.
Key Outcomes and Next Steps
The SPWG retreat was instrumental in driving these initiatives forward:
• Prioritizing updating the Sustainable Procurement Guidelines
• Aligning procurement practices with new STARS 3.0 requirements
• Implementing strategies to enhance sustainability and supplier diversity criteria within systemwide RFPs
• Launching the approved Supplier Code of Conduct to promote ethical supplier engagement.
As the SPWG moves ahead, these actions will ensure the UC system continues to lead in sustainable procurement, reinforcing its commitment to environmental stewardship, economic equity, and social responsibility.