Taking responsibility for sustainable development means that for every purchase, we explore whether and how we can contribute to it. In all phases of the procurement process, we consider both environmental aspects, such as circularity and CO2 reduction, and social aspects, such as stimulating social return. We also consider the impact of a contribution.
With sustainable procurement, the EUR aims to increase, accelerate and make measurable the positive social impact. For Sustainable Procurement, we focus on six themes at EUR:
All these themes are in line with EUR's strategy, the ambitions of the Sustainability Programme and linked to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.
Ambitions and guiding objectives
The six aforementioned themes for Sustainable Procurement have been plotted in an ambition web, prioritising the six themes. In addition, mid-term (2026) and long-term (2030) goals have been drawn up, which can be worked towards in a targeted manner. These objectives provide direction for each ambition within the theme. The positioning on the ambition web is tested for each tender.
The social goals that are pursued through Sustainable Procurement have already been partly laid down in, among other things, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the various climate agreement (Paris, Rotterdam), the Jobs Agreement, the Raw Materials Agreement, and the OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises.
Application of Sustainable Procurement within the EUR
In addition to the ambitions, the Guiding Framework defines seven leading principles to give substance to Sustainable Procurement and thus implement sustainable procurement (per tender). One of the leading principles for Sustainable Procurement is that the contract owner is responsible for including sustainability in the tender assignment description and then linking ambitions, objectives and standards to this.
A tool that is used for European tenders is conducting ambition sessions in which the prioritization in the field of sustainability is mapped out. In this way, the Procurement department supports the tender team in addressing Sustainable Procurement and mapping out the opportunities in this area.
How do we implement Sustainable Procurement?
Sustainable procurement is one of the most direct ways EUR turns its sustainability ambitions into practice: every purchase, contract, and tender is a chance to advance the goals set out across our research, education, and campus operations. With every tender, EUR actively invites tender teams to share ideas and help identify real opportunities for sustainability, embedding it into how the university buys, not just what it says.
At the start of every tender process, the tendering adviser of the Procurement department organises a Sustainable Procurement ambition web workshop with the lead buyer. This workshop determines which of the six MVOI (CSR) themes should be prioritised for that particular project and set clear project ambitions. This gives direction to the tender process and identifies real opportunities for sustainable procurement. Further steps are being taken to support lead buyers in embedding sustainable procurement more fully into their work, including new tools and working methods guided by the Sustainable Procurement Growth Plan.