Responsible purchasing: the subject is making headway, and so are the standards

Published in April 2017, the voluntary international standard ISO 20400 on responsible purchasing gives companies, local authorities and all types of economic players guidelines for integrating social responsibility into their purchasing processes. ” It’s a recommendation standard, not a certifiable standard ,” adds Juliette Guillemin-Dupille, who is in charge of this topic for the AFNOR group (on the left in the photo). Nevertheless, the standard is widely used to prepare for the Supplier Relations and Responsible Purchasing label. In so doing, it makes the purchasing function the cornerstone of a company’s CSR approach: buyers can give preference to suppliers, service providers and subcontractors who offer goods and services with less environmental impact, added social value and strong regional added value.

A theme on the rise in purchasing functions

No less than 9 out of 10 organizations are committed to or about to embark on a responsible purchasing approach. These are the findings of ObsAR’s latest responsible purchasing barometer, published in February 2022. This quantitative survey of 254 organizations was carried out between November and December 2021. It clearly shows that the responsible purchasing approach is finding its place in a growing number of organizations. Whether in the public or private sector, more than half of purchasing departments have objectives linked to sustainable development or CSR by 2022. This is also the case within the AFNOR group ! For a third of respondents, this is not a new discovery: their responsible purchasing approach is more than five years old.

Another study points in the same direction: according to AgileBuyer for the Conseil national des achats, ” more than half of purchasing departments will have sustainable development or CSR objectives by 2022. This will affect 69% of purchasing departments in the public sector and 57% in the private sector. “it reads. With a focus on reducing carbon footprints: 73% of purchasing managers say that their priority is to help reduce the carbon footprint as part of their company’s strategy.

ISO 20400: making it a certifiable standard?

Strong trends call for strong standards. ISO 20400 dates from 2017. Five years after its publication, do you think it deserves a facelift? The consultation is open! AFNOR gives you the opportunity to have your say, until March 31, 2022. With this reminder: the revision of a voluntary standard is part of its life cycle. The document must continue to reflect market realities. ” Revising a standard doesn’t necessarily mean completely overhauling it,” explains Juliette Guillemin-Dupille. He continued: ” For ISO 20400, the first question to ask is whether it should retain its status as a non-certifiable standard, or whether it should be upgraded to a certifiable standard. We might also ask whether it would be It may be appropriate to adapt it to public purchasing or to a particular sector of activity. “In five years, CSR has been flowing under the bridges of many companies. In the meantime, the law on duty of care has come into force. ” Companies have had to communicate on vigilance plans, and have become more aware of the issues of global warming, waste and resource management,” attests Juliette Guillemin-Dupille. Against this backdrop, the question of a revision is a legitimate one.

Progress on calculation methodology

The ObsAR 2022 responsible purchasing barometer points to the fact that risk mapping is still under-implemented. This exercise is central to the credibility of the ISO 20400 purchasing approach. ” We all too often see risk maps where organizations present the consequences rather than the risks,” notes Bruno Frel, another expert on the subject for the AFNOR group (on the right in the photo). He adds: ” ISO 20400 lacks elements of calculation methodology to support organizations. It would be a good idea for the standard to be expanded to explain what supplier assessments should cover and how they should be used in a responsible purchasing approach. ”

Five years after the publication of ISO 20400, a number of questions arise. Should it become certifiable? Should it be applied to a specific sector? Does it need to evolve with a more operational methodology? Your contribution to the AFNOR survey will help shape the French position. Each country will carry out a parallel consultation. Should the verdict be in favor of a revision, industry professionals will be invited to the standardization table to draft the new version.

Photo credit: Julien Guillemin-Dupille and Bruno Frel, responsible purchasing coordinators for the AFNOR group (©DR).