Procurement Priorities (Scope 3)
2025-2030 Priorities
Background
Western’s procurement department directly manages the acquisition of goods and services between suppliers and the university, ensuring these transactions comply with state regulations and university policies. These transactions include, but are not limited to, purchasing furniture, hazardous materials, scientific equipment, library materials, textbooks, and electronics (such as computers and related accessories). Supplies and services are procured through purchase orders, often using pre-negotiated contracts with vendors who offer the best overall value to the university.
Performance
| KPIs | FY2024 | FY2030 Target |
|---|---|---|
| % Spend on cleaning products, electronics, furniture, and office paper that meet sustainability criteria (STARS) | Not Yet Tracked | Baseline established |
| % Contract Spend on Social Impact Suppliers (STARS) | Not Yet Tracked | Baseline established |
2025-2030 Action Items
• Reusing and repurposing existing supplies, materials, and equipment is often the most sustainable choice.
• Collaborating between procurement and surplus teams within the organization to identify surplus options when initiating purchases.
• Communicating and promoting surplus offerings, both internally and at the state level, to raise awareness of alternatives to buying new products.
• Promoting shared resources where feasible, such as printers, office supplies, furniture, and other general-purpose items across the organization
• Develop and implement WWU’s Supplier Code of Conduct by posting it on the Purchasing website and exploring ways to incorporate it into the new Jaggaer software suite.
• Implement Jaggaer software to improve the collection, reporting, and visibility of sustainable certifications and related sustainability attributes.
• Update the procurement website to include the Washington State Green Purchasing Guide as a valuable and easily accessible resource for researching sustainable options when making purchases.
• Update procurement and/or purchasing card (Pcard) training to include relevant content. Highlight 'think before you purchase' and 'reduce, reuse, repurpose' messages to promote sustainable purchasing.
• Estimate the University’s Scope 3 emissions using data on goods and services purchased, along with results from the UW study.
• Improve the use of Jaggaer to provide Western with more accurate purchase data, enhancing reporting and business intelligence, including aspects related to sustainability.
• Consider the use of software and/or third-party data to help populate emissions data in Jaggaer.
• Find ways to buy, access, and borrow library materials, both physical and electronic, that minimize carbon emissions.
• Implement and communicate enhanced acquisition processes to lower the carbon footprint.
• The WWU Ethical Contracts Committee was established in May 2025 to enhance discussions and decisions regarding the ethical aspects of our external suppliers, including sustainability. The committee will gather feedback from students, faculty, and staff to inform our contractual partnerships and discuss its implications for Western’s needs.