When Nicole Darnall, Kogod’s Arlene R. and Robert P. Kogod Eminent Scholar Chair in Sustainability, set out to identify the most powerful untapped lever for large-scale environmental impact, she gathered six leading sustainability scholars to explore the question together. 

“I wanted to pursue research that could deliver a far greater sustainability impact,” Darnall recalls. “To identify that opportunity, I brought together a half dozen leading scholars in the field. Over six hours across two days, we explored which sustainability issue had the potential for unparalleled influence—one that touched every kind of organization, large or small, public or private—yet had received almost no attention from our research community.” 

By the end of those sessions, the answer was clear: sustainable procurement. 

A Powerful Lever for Systemic Change 

At its core, sustainable procurement means integrating environmental and social criteria into purchasing decisions—looking beyond cost and quality to advance sustainability goals. It’s about using organizational buying power to intentionally favor products, services, and suppliers that minimize environmental harm and maximize social value. 

“About a third of US GDP is linked to organizations’ procurement decisions,” Darnall explains. “Since up to 96 percent of all carbon emissions are also linked to those decisions, sustainable procurement has massive potential to ripple through entire supply chains and help us achieve our global sustainability goals.” 

Through her research, Darnall has shown that procurement is not just an operational process—it’s a powerful mechanism for systemic transformation. Because every organization, from government agencies to multinational corporations, makes purchasing choices daily, those decisions collectively represent a massive opportunity to drive environmental and social progress through existing market structures. 

Research Driving Real-World Impact 

Darnall’s work builds on her leadership as founding director of the Sustainable Purchasing Research Initiative, where she examines how governments and organizations around the world can adopt greener procurement practices. Her recent scholarship expands this focus, offering frameworks for how sustainable purchasing can become a cornerstone of climate action. 

Her 2022 paper, “A Framework for Understanding Sustainable Public Purchasing,” explores the institutional and cultural factors that determine whether organizations can successfully implement sustainability in procurement. She also advises the US General Services Administration’s Federal Advisory Committee on Acquisition Policy, helping shape how sustainability is embedded into billions of dollars of public spending. 

Now at Kogod since 2024, Darnall is exploring how artificial intelligence and digital traceability tools can enhance sustainable procurement, offering new ways to track supply chain emissions and evaluate supplier performance. “Technology and collaboration will drive sustainable transformation,” she says. “AI will likely prove an important asset as information and automation needs increase.” 

Embedding Sustainability in Business Education 

At the Kogod School of Business, Darnall’s vision aligns closely with the school’s mission to integrate sustainability across all aspects of business education. 

“About two-thirds of our faculty embrace sustainability in our research and teaching,” she notes. “We integrate sustainability directly into core business education, ensuring that students regard environmental and social responsibility as essential to strategic decision-making.” 

Through interdisciplinary collaboration, Kogod students gain hands-on experience in how procurement, policy, and business intersect to shape sustainable outcomes. Courses emphasize systems thinking, data-driven analysis, and ethical leadership—skills that prepare graduates to navigate complex global challenges. 

This educational model also reflects American University’s broader commitment to public purpose. “Our programs combine systems thinking, data-driven analysis, and ethical leadership to prepare students to navigate the complex intersections of markets, policy, and sustainability,” Darnall says. “It’s about equipping students to become change agents within organizations of every kind.” 

Looking Ahead: Procurement as Climate Strategy 

As regulations evolve and expectations rise, Darnall sees sustainable procurement becoming central to how organizations meet their climate commitments. 

Darnall identifies three key trends shaping the field: 

• Transparency and accountability are becoming non-negotiable. Mandatory sustainability reporting and due diligence laws are redefining procurement, requiring organizations to demonstrate supply chain responsibility. 

• Supply chains are the new frontier of climate action. To meet net-zero goals, organizations must collaborate with suppliers to reduce “Scope 3” emissions—the indirect emissions generated throughout the value chain. 

• Technology will unlock innovation and resilience. Digital tools, data analytics, and AI will make it possible to evaluate sustainability performance at an unprecedented scale. 

“Sustainable procurement is one of the most direct ways to drive systemic transformation through existing market mechanisms,” Darnall says. “By changing what we buy, how we buy it, and who we buy it from, we can accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.” 

Leading the Next Generation of Change 

For Darnall, the ultimate goal is to prepare students and partners to view procurement not as a background process but as a strategic climate solution. 

“It’s about embedding sustainability into the DNA of how organizations function,” she explains. “When we equip students and business leaders to see procurement as a lever for change, we multiply our collective impact.” 

Through her research, teaching, and global collaborations, Darnall is redefining how the business world measures responsibility—and demonstrating that the everyday act of buying can become a force for planetary good.