There’s no doubt CPOs face headwinds in delivering some of their sustainability goals – particularly if they are driven more by altruism than commercial logic.
Of course, commercial logic must always be central to any procurement decision. But where a project might once have been kicked off without total clarity of its financial return, this is no longer the case. Today, sustainability is driven by simple powers: regulation (a licence to operate); and cold, hard cash.
Perhaps this explains why a colleague was told by one CPO recently, and I quote: “Sustainability is not that important anymore”. The individual, no doubt, was speaking within the context of operating in a landscape of war, product shortages, inflation and myriad other disruptions.
But, regardless of the geopolitical backdrop, the headlines and the relentless supply issues, sustainability has never been more important. The reality is that sustainability-driven strategies make clear, long-term economic sense.
The long-term nature of decarbonisation efforts and net-zero ambitions, however, is potentially what makes them easier to deprioritise. Targets and goals for 2040, even 2050, can seem abstract and less urgent: something to worry about tomorrow after extinguishing the latest fire.
Which is why CPOs must think differently. This was on full display during our conversation with Gianluca Colombo, CPO and logistics and CX EVP at dsm-firmenich (pictured above), as part of our Leadership Exchange last week. Importantly, and refreshingly, other Procurement Leaders members joined Gianluca in debating how to move sustainability forward when the world is pushing back.
One of the most important mindset shifts for procurement chiefs to address is anchoring their teams to aggressive near-term targets so they can make pragmatic, but tangible progress against what is a multi-year – even multi-generational – challenge. And members on the call with Gianluca certainly agreed.
At our CPO retreat Ovation in 2024, one of our speakers, Alex Edmans, professor of finance at London Business School, shared his concept of “rational sustainability”. It was prescient – the need for rational, pragmatic and economically bombproof sustainability initiatives has never been more pressing.
A new launch for Asia
Asia Pacific Procurement Week officially launched on Wednesday, bringing a more focused, senior-level and results-driven experience for CPOs tackling today’s biggest challenges, from AI adoption to sustainability and enterprise-wide transformation.
Uniting the AI and Sustainability Forums, the Asia Pacific Procurement Congress and the Awards, the Week is designed as a seamless leadership journey, moving beyond discussion to drive practical, actionable progress.
Entries are now open for the Asia Pacific Procurement Awards 2026, which celebrate the individuals and organisations redefining procurement across the region. Explore the categories and how to enter.
Winners will be announced live during the Week, alongside exclusive “how we did it” case studies, where past winners share the strategies and insights behind their success.
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