The Green Levers Workshop showcased the practical application of sustainable sourcing strategies designed to simultaneously drive cost savings and enhance environmental performance. This approach stems from the PRECIUS project’s efforts in IO1 and IO2, where the Green Levers tool was developed to offer structured, tactical sourcing methods for achieving economic and sustainability objectives. In IO3, the tool was rigorously tested through a survey conducted among practitioners from public procurement, SMEs, and environmental engineering sectors to assess its real-world viability and relevance.
During the workshop, participants explored seven core sourcing levers: product and process optimisation, supplier base expansion, price evaluation, volume grouping, supplier relationship optimisation, and cross-commodity strategies. Each lever was reviewed for its dual contribution to economic and environmental goals, emphasising that no single lever dominates, but rather that each plays a vital role in sustainable sourcing practices.
Product optimisation emerged as a key strategy, encouraging modifications to design, materials, and product functions that reduce environmental impact, such as incorporating sustainable materials and energy-efficient components. In parallel, process optimisation focused on minimising resource usage, pollution, and waste within the supply chain, highlighting practices like predictive maintenance and circular economy initiatives.
A strong focus was also placed on cultivating strategic supplier relationships, essential for advancing shared sustainability goals. Suggested approaches included setting long-term agreements, implementing green financing options, and incorporating sustainability metrics within supplier evaluations to foster collaboration.
In conclusion, the Green Levers Workshop provided practitioners with a refined framework to implement green levers practically. The findings underscore the importance of a cross-functional approach, where commercial and sustainability benefits are pursued in tandem. This tool, grounded in research and feedback from the PRECIUS project, is set to support public procurement, SMEs, and environmental engineers in transitioning towards more sustainable procurement practices across sectors.
