Sustainable Procurement - 2nd Edition by Jonathan O'Brien (Paperback)

About the Book

Transform procurement practices with this step-by-step guide to successfully drive sustainability across the supply chain.

Book Synopsis

Drive sustainability through procurement with clarity, control and measurable results.

Sustainable Procurement is a practical guide for Procurement Directors, Chief Procurement Officers, supply chain leaders and sustainability heads responsible for embedding sustainability into core purchasing and supplier management processes.

Written by leading procurement expert Jonathan O'Brien, this updated edition provides a clear, actionable methodology for integrating sustainability into established procurement frameworks. Built around the proven OMEIA(R) Sustainable Procurement process, it shows leaders how to translate ambitious sustainability goals into practical actions that reshape supplier relationships, reduce risk and drive organizational value.

You'll learn how to:
- Assess environmental and social impact across the supply base
- Identify hot spot risk areas and prioritize high-impact interventions
- Apply data, analytics and AI to strengthen supply chain visibility
- Embed sustainability criteria into sourcing, evaluation and supplier development
- Measure performance and communicate results across the organization

With real-world examples and strategic guidance, Sustainable Procurement equips senior professionals to lead change, build responsible supply chains and deliver long-term commercial and sustainability outcomes.

Themes: sustainable procurement, ESG strategy, supplier assessment, risk prioritization, supply chain transparency, responsible sourcing

Review Quotes

"An essential and highly practical handbook for driving responsible purchasing practices, helping make sense of the complex topic of transforming buying through the lens of sustainability."-- "Anke Ehlers, International Sustainability Officer, ALDI SÜD Group"

"Continuing our education on sustainable procurement and responsible sourcing is what we all must do. Jonathan O'Brien addresses procurement's team need to work with the supply networks on how they think about environmental sustainability. Our need to build our supply networks to be robust to support the environmental challenges is critical."-- "Chris Shanahan, board member, M&A, procurement executive, supply chain sustainability advisor"

"For well-deserved reasons, this has already become a core and classic book for practitioners, students and indeed anyone interested in the contribution procurement can make to sustainability issues. The practical advice, tools and templates are particularly impressive and extensive and will prove invaluable for many. There is certainly no excuse now for anyone to say 'I don't know how to implement sustainable procurement.'"-- "Peter Smith, MD, Procurement Excellence Ltd and author"

"Rethinking business practices with corporate social responsibility in mind has become an imperative for all organizations; the movement is being driven by internal culture, regulation and reputational considerations. This provides a huge opportunity for procurement teams to demonstrate new sources of value by managing the business' consumption habits and rebuilding supply chains in line with business CSR strategy. But how? Jonathan O'Brien's Sustainable Procurement provides comprehensive insights into the tools, tactics and strategies procurement teams can put into practice to drive CSR best practices and measure their results."-- "Philip Ideson, Managing Director, Art of Procurement"

"Sustainability is the era-defining opportunity for procurement. It is the strategic imperative that will turn failed SRM initiatives into successful programmes and will cement action and transformation, for the betterment of the function and for the future of our planet. This book acts as a practical roadmap that translates greenwashing and greenwishing into evidence-based action. A must-read for all procurement and sustainability professionals today."-- "Mark Perera, CEO & Founder, Vizibl"

"Sustainability within procurement has moved beyond the theoretical to practical, and the results are profoundly impactful to the way business is being done. Jonathan O'Brien's book is a really helpful guide for those figuring out where to start, but also affirmation of the paths being taken by those who are on the journey. This could not be more timely"-- "Guy Strafford, Executive Chairman, OneSupplyPlanet"

"Sustainable procurement continues as a priority topic for global procurement leaders. Jonathan O'Brien's insights and guidance enable leaders and their teams to create a compelling path forward."-- "Erik Stavrand, Partner, SEAK, LLC"

"Talk of sustainability is not new, but operational progress continues to lag behind aspiration and vision. In this passionately written book, Jonathan O'Brien makes the case for the sustainability imperative, demonstrates why progress cannot be made without coordinated efforts from procurement and supply chain professionals and turns previously abstract guidance into an actionable, achievable mission."-- "Kelly Barner, Head of Content and Operations, Art of Procurement"

"This is the most insightful - and perhaps more importantly - the most useful book on sustainable procurement. Jonathan O´Brien shows us how to weave category management and supplier relationship management together and use it as leverage to enable sustainable supply chains. It is undoubtedly one of the most important sources of knowledge for our own transformation to sustainable sourcing."-- "Andreas Takacs, Director of Procurement, atNorth"

About the Author

Jonathan O'Brien is the CEO of Positive Purchasing Ltd, the international procurement and negotiation consultancy and training provider. With over 33 years of experience, he has helped global organizations increase their purchasing capability through training, education and working directly with practitioners and executive teams. He is also the host of The Procurement Show podcast. He is the author of Category Management in Purchasing, Negotiation for Procurement and Supply Chain Professionals, Supplier Relationship Management and The Buyer's Toolkit, all published by Kogan Page. He is based in Plymouth, UK.