Strong relationships lead to better sustainability in procurement process

Sappi’s procurement process is more than just purchasing materials or services. It’s a way to facilitate trust and collaboration and to share best practices with those companies that support our vision for a more renewable and responsible world through commercially viable and sustainable solutions. Because 49% of our Scope 3 emissions come from purchased goods, we recognise that our procurement choices can have an impact on economic, environmental and social influences in the communities where we operate and beyond.

We are committed to open and honest dialogue, and actively seek collaboration and communication with suppliers who believe in and commit to our Supplier Code of Conduct. Our goal is an 80% share of procurement spend by 2025 with suppliers who agree to comply with this code. These suppliers then become key partners and play a role in helping realise Sappi’s mission, values and principles.

“Not only do suppliers sell us their materials and services, but we also gain insight into their best practices, which then helps us expand our sustainable footprint”, says Manoj Sujanani, SNA Chief Procurement Officer. “It’s going to be a natural part of what procurement does. It’s a way to engage, collaborate, and develop trust. We ask our suppliers to bring us your best ideas. The momentum has continued to build on this type of communication.”

In 2021 in North America, our efforts to effectively communicate this message with our suppliers resulted in a 53% share of supplier spend that included a commitment to our supplier code of conduct, which surpassed our 2021 target of 50%.