Responsible Purchasing: How Consumers, Retailers, and Manufacturers are Trying to Buy a Better World

Join Scot Case of TerraChoice and EcoLogo for an exploration of the responsible purchasing from a consumer, retailer and manufacturer perspective.

This course meets on Thursdays (September 9, 16, 23, 30) at 10:00-11:30 AM PST.

Buying a Better Future:  Using the Power of Corporate/Government Purchasing to Reduce Costs and Drive Environmental and Social Innovation

In this four-part series, Scot Case will provide an overview of the strategies government and corporate purchasers are using to buy more environmentally and socially responsible goods and services while balancing traditional supply chain concerns like price, performance, and availability.

Part 1 -- Purchasers Save the World: Learn How and Why Purchasers are Incorporating Human Health, Environmental, and Social Considerations into the Routine Purchasing Process

• Explain the hidden human health and environmental impacts of every purchasing decision.
• Define Responsible Purchasing.
• Describe the historic role government purchasing has played in shaping our future.
• Understand some of the ways purchasers are integrating human health and environmental considerations into their purchasing decisions.
• Locate useful responsible purchasing resources.

Part 2 -- Responsible Green Purchasing: Tricks of the Trade 

• Identify some of the most successful strategies being used to implement responsible purchasing programs.
• Cite relevant examples of others’ use of the strategies.
• Understand how to apply the strategies within their own organization.
• Know where to locate additional information.

Part 3 -- Writing a Responsible Green Purchasing Policy

• Describe the key responsible purchasing components found in typical green purchasing policies and practices.
• Determine which components would be relevant within one’s own organization.
• Understand how other purchasing agencies have supported the development of relevant policies.

Part 4 -- Avoiding the Greenwash Gremlin: Learn How to Avoid Being Fooled By Misleading Environmental Claims

• Identify the seven sins of greenwashing.
• Differentiate among the different environmental standards.
• Understand how to integrate meaningful environmental considerations into the routine purchasing process while continuing to reduce costs.

More About the Instructor

Scot Case is an internationally recognized expert on sustainable business strategy development, responsible sourcing, green supply chains, and environmental marketing with more than 16 years of professional experience. As Vice President of TerraChoice and Executive Director of the EcoLogo program, Scot helps connect retailers and consumers seeking more environmentally and socially responsible products with the manufacturers supplying them.

Scot has testified before the U.S. Congress on green marketing and labeling issues and consulted with a variety of organizations around the world including: White House Office of the Federal Environmental Executive; Wal-Mart and its suppliers; the World Bank; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; the Japanese Green Purchasing Network; government agencies in the Philippines, New Zealand, and Australia; the National Institute of Governmental Purchasers; National Association of State Purchasing Officials; and dozens of U.S. Federal agencies and state and local governments.

He has also worked closely with a variety of environmental standard setting, certification, and labeling programs, including: EcoLogo (formerly Environmental Choice), EPEAT, Green Seal, Energy Star, Design for the Environment (DfE), WaterSense, and others.