Executive Summary: The monthly overview for the Vertice Community [March 2025]

Welcome to the Vertice Community Hub – your go-to space for the latest insights in procurement and finance.

March saw industry leaders gather at events like Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE: Sustainability and World Sustainable Procurement Day to share their thoughts on green strategies, budget challenges, and real-world initiatives making an impact.

Here are some highlights you might have missed.

Sustainability vs. cost savings – the procurement dilemma

At World Sustainable Procurement Day, a hot button issue was pursued - is sustainability at loggerheads with cost savings?

According to the latest CASME SnapShot Survey (March 2025), 45% of companies still put cost savings ahead of sustainability, while only 6% prioritize sustainability no matter the cost. One of the biggest hurdles—mentioned by 29% of respondents—is measuring how environmental initiatives affect the bottom line.

Despite these challenges, there are compelling reasons to embrace sustainability. Graham Crawshaw and Victoria Folbigg of CASME pointed out that showing how green initiatives reduce costs—like through energy savings—was the most effective way to get decision-makers on board (33% of survey respondents agreed). Meanwhile, 27% stressed the importance of matching sustainability efforts with what customers and investors expect, and 25% cited compliance requirements as a key driver.

‍

Real-world sustainability initiatives in procurement

Several organizations have demonstrated tangible progress in sustainable procurement recently:

Sainsbury's & RenEco Ltd: The UK supermarket chain has teamed up with RenEco Ltd to transform food waste into biofuel. This now powers 30 trucks at their Emerald Park distribution center and is expected to cut 3,000 tonnes of CO2 each year—equal to the electricity used by 1,950 homes.

This helps Sainsbury's move toward its Net Zero 2035 goal. Patrick Dunne, Head of Procurement at Sainsbury's, called this "a critical first step into a new approach to reduce our carbon footprint across our operations while also supporting our Scope 3 challenges."

‍

Santander's Circular Supply Chain:

At Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE: Sustainability, Jarrod Glover, CPO of Santander, shared how the bank is working circular economy principles into its buying decisions. "For a procurement professional now, it's not enough just to save money. You need to be talking about holistic value that expresses itself in community impact, carbon reduction and how we trade and do business."

You can check out Jarrod’s interview at the PSC Live Sustainability event here.

World Rugby's Sustainability Report:

World Rugby’s first-ever Sustainability Report 2024 underscores its commitment to social responsibility, climate action, and ethical governance - placing sustainable procurement at the heart of its strategy. A key initiative is its partnership with Capgemini to develop the Sustainable Sourcing Framework, which helps reduce environmental impact and integrate sustainability into procurement. “This will give World Rugby enhanced oversight and control over sustainability data and operations,” says Rob Walker, UK Managing Director at Capgemini.

With the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 approaching, World Rugby is ensuring uniform suppliers meet strict sustainability and ethical standards, from responsible material sourcing to supporting women-owned businesses. “Tackling these challenges requires bold, thoughtful, and collaborative action,” notes Dr. Brett Robinson, World Rugby Chair. By embedding sustainability into procurement, the sport is driving meaningful change both on and off the field.

The role of technology in sustainable procurement

At Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE, Keshini Kendell from Vertice highlighted how technology is helping make procurement more sustainable by improving visibility and decision-making. Vertice's platform helps businesses optimize software and cloud spending, manage supplier relationships better, and avoid unnecessary costs.

Check out Keshini’s interview with Alex Jennings here. 

Looking ahead

Sustainability in procurement isn't just about checking boxes anymore - it's about innovation, efficiency, and building businesses that last. While budget pressures haven't disappeared, companies that thoughtfully connect environmental goals with financial ones are showing that sustainability can be both responsible and competitive.

We're eager to hear your sustainability story. How important are green initiatives to your organization? Are you driven by genuine environmental concerns, cost savings, or both?

Have you launched any sustainability programs in your procurement process? What challenges have you faced, and what successes can you share? Perhaps you've found creative ways to measure ROI on sustainability or convince skeptical stakeholders?

Did you attend Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE or World Sustainable Procurement Day? What insights or practical tips did you take away that others might benefit from?

Your experiences matter and could inspire others in our community. Connect with fellow professionals, share your journey, and learn from diverse perspectives by joining the conversation in the Vertice Community Hub. Get in touch here, share your case study, or reach out to explore collaboration opportunities - we can't wait to hear from you!