Buying ethically means asking the right questions, in order to reduce the human, environmental and societal impacts associated with the purchase of a good or service. But this behavior is not the monopoly of the end consumer. Purchasing departments must also ask themselves these questions, especially if they are committed to a CSR policy. Buyers must make an effort to select their suppliers on the basis of a grid of relevant criteria. There are three main ones
- Human aspect : respect for labor law and prohibition of child labor.
- Environmental aspect : limiting ecological impacts throughout the product or service life cycle (eco-design, raw materials from organic farming, reduced consumption of water and pesticides, etc.).
- Social aspect : taking into account local solidarity, fair wages and regional economic development.
To help you in this process, a number of guidelines exist. For example, the voluntary ISO 20400 standard on responsible purchasing questions the risks of not buying ethically, by including indicators on greenhouse gas emissions, workers’ quality of life and energy consumption. ISO 26000, which provides guidelines for implementing a good CSR policy, proposes seven dimensions: governance; human rights; labor relations and working conditions; environment; fair practices; consumer issues; communities and local development.
