A company’s impact on the environment can be measured through two factors: their carbon footprint and water footprint.
Carbon Footprint
The carbon footprint refers to the amount of carbon emissions generated by an individual, organization, building, or operation. This usually includes the amount of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, produced by burning fossil fuels and other activities. It’s worth noting that up to 50% of an organization’s carbon emissions may come from its supply chain. As such, it’s essential for sourcing organizations to consider their carbon footprint across the entire supply chain rather than just their facilities. Decisions related to transportation, such as mode, shipment size, and distance, can also have a significant impact on carbon footprint. Thankfully, there are software applications that can help calculate the carbon footprint of truck transportation and suggest ways to reduce it. Nowadays, companies and NGOs are publishing carbon footprints of everyday products on the internet.
Waterprint
In certain geographic areas, the consumption and management of water have become critical due to population growth and an increase in industry. Similar to a carbon footprint, companies are now monitoring their water footprint, or waterprint, within their supply chains, both directly and indirectly. They are also setting targets to reduce water usage.
Water Footprints – Measure the volume of water consumed, evaporated or polluted when producing an item, including surface water, groundwater, and rainwater.
The main objective of environmental sustainability in procurement is to achieve long-term conservation, which guarantees the availability of materials necessary for supporting life in the environment.