Governments hold enormous purchasing power—yet too often, sustainability ambitions get stuck at the policy level and fail to translate into procurement practice. Why? Procurement teams face huge challenges: balancing cost, fairness, transparency, and sustainability while making complex purchasing decisions. This complexity hampers critical sustainability action.

• AI can help procurement officials interpret vast sustainability data and integrate it across the entire procurement lifecycle.
• It can transform how organizations prioritize environmental and social outcomes alongside cost.
• BUT TO SUCCEED, we need critical systems that are transparent, fair, and accountable—so that sustainability is advanced without undermining trust or competition.

"Procurement officials have a vital role in assisting organizations with achieving their sustainability goals," says Darnall. 

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