The sustainable procurement of standard products such as IT accessories, office furniture and cleaning products is becoming increasingly important in companies and public administrations. At the same time, the selection must be made quickly, as indirect purchasing involves enormous volumes every year. In order to combine efficiency and sustainability here, the German Federal Association of Materials Management, Purchasing and Logistics (BME) has entered into a partnership with the ESG-Score.org.

The cooperation enables around 13,000 members of the BME to view ESG score data directly in catalogues and procurement systems. This allows the environmental and social compatibility of products to be directly included in the purchase decision. The ESG score bundles publicly available information and rates products on a scale of zero to one hundred points, similar to the Nutri-Score for food. Buyers can thus quickly identify which products are sustainable without extensive research of their own.

The approach fills a gap in the market and makes sustainability practical in everyday life. By incorporating ESG information directly into product evaluation, sustainable purchasing can be efficiently planned and measured. According to those responsible at BME and ESG-Score.org, this integration not only allows orientation towards standards and labels, but also promotes conscious management of sustainability throughout indirect procurement.

The partnership shows that operational tools such as the ESG score can have a direct impact on responsible purchasing decisions. Sustainability is thus transformed from an abstract goal to a tangible part of daily procurement.

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