Sustainable Community — Embracing Sustainability
A sustainable community is one of the aims of integrating sustainability in every business. However, how can you help a community be stable with sustainable procurement?
This article will discuss what sustainable procurement and community are. Additionally, we will tell you the importance of sustainability in a community and how you can use sustainable procurement to foster a sustainable community.
Once you are done reading this article, you will know the significance of involving the business with the community. Also, this will allow you to achieve one of the pillars of sustainability which is the people pillar. Thus, knowing how far you have come when it comes to sustainable development.
What is Sustainable Procurement?
Sustainable procurement refers to the acquisition of goods or services that have less environmental and social impacts. In sustainable procurement, procurement managers should be aware of how their purchases can negatively impact the environment and society.
It involves selecting suppliers that meet the sustainable criteria or standards of your company to help you with your goal of achieving sustainability.
It usually adopts responsible business practices and sustainable corporate behavior in the procurement processes, decisions, and policies. Thus, it balances meeting stakeholder requirements, profitability, and sustainability. Corporate social responsibility is brought up when companies talk about sustainable procurement.
Furthermore, sustainable procurement helps build a circular economy that aims to reduce adverse social, environmental, and governmental impacts of the acquired goods and services of a company.
What is Sustainable Community
A sustainable community refers to the management of human, financial, and natural aspects to meet the current needs while ensuring that there will be enough resources available for the future.
It considers multiple human needs such as a safe and healthy place to raise their kids, shelter, access to clean water, etc. It is a place where people of different backgrounds and perspectives feel safe and welcome, and where prosperity is shared.
Additionally, a sustainable community strives to reduce its impact on the environment while promoting social and economic well-being for its people.
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Importance of Sustainability Community
Sustainable communities allow people within it to be united and to have a sense of community having access to public spaces and fostering inclusive and diverse groups. Thus, it leads to an increase in community participation that results in a stronger and more resilient community.
Additionally, sustainable communities are designed to be resilient when facing environmental, social, and economic challenges. By being united, these communities can better withstand and recover from natural disasters, economic downturns, and other crises.
It can also be the catalyst for protecting the environment by encouraging the people within the community to minimize their negative impacts on the ecosystem. This can be done by convincing them to buy sustainable products that have fewer negative impacts on the environment and society.
Tactics to Foster a Sustainable Community
1. Community involvement
The business can contribute by being involved with the community in terms of respecting the social, cultural, and political rights of the communities. The business can do this by consulting the representatives of the communities, participating in local associations, and contributing to development programs.
Additionally, as a procurement manager, you can allocate a percentage of procurement spend to local communities and previously marginalized groups. To give you an example, there is a law in Kenya that requires all public entities both at the national and county level to allocate 30% of their procurement budget to youth, women, and people with disabilities.
2. Education
You can foster a sustainable community by promoting and supporting the education of communities at all levels, in particular the education of children, women, and vulnerable groups, in areas where goods to be procured, are being produced.
3. Job creation and skills development
As a procurement manager, you could consider helping to develop or improve skills development programs in the community where these are inadequate, possibly in partnership with suppliers and others in the community.
Also, you could source from indigenous and other diverse suppliers, creating employment opportunities for vulnerable populations. When applied correctly, you can create jobs for the long term by your procurement.
4. Technology
As a procurement manager, you can contribute to the development of innovative or low-cost technologies that can help solve social and environmental issues in local communities or that can have a high positive impact on poverty and the eradication of hunger.
5. The health of the community
You can foster a sustainable community by trying to eliminate the negative health impacts of any production process of goods or services provided by suppliers. If possible, support long-lasting and universal access to essential health care services, clean water, and appropriate sanitation as a means of preventing illness.
6. Social investment
You must consider the promotion of community development in planning social investment projects with suppliers. All actions should broaden opportunities for citizens by increasing local procurement and ensuring that any outsourcing supports local development.
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Frequentlyasked questions
+ What is a sustainable community?
It refers to the management of human, financial, and natural aspects to meet the current needs while ensuring that there will be enough resources available for the future.
+ Why is a sustainable community important?
It is important as it enables people living within the community to better withstand and recover from natural disasters, economic downturns, and other crises.
+ What role can individuals play in building sustainable communities?
Individuals can contribute by participating in community events and initiatives that promote sustainability.
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