At the IBX Purchasing Executive Summit a few weeks ago the most exciting moments – from my perspective – was an Oxford Debate format where focal purchasing issues was debated in a formalized yet open spirited manner. One of the topics of the debates was green purchasing and where the responsibilities lie; at the purchasing department (or the company) or at government level (meaning that purchasing functions should follow rules and regulations and not go out on a limb on their own).
Now this debate is not new, yet it still significantly relevant, something which was evident by the amount of energy the participants put into their performances.
Without revealing too much of what was said and without placing my views as some sort of consensus on the issue, I’d still like to add a few pointers from the world of practical philosophy to further expand on the issue.
In a recent article in the Swedish sustainability magazine Camino a number of scholars reflected on the role of the individual in association to sustainability in general. Folke Tersman, professor of philosophy at Uppsala University; who recently published a book called “Tillsammans” called for a more collaborative approach due to the fact that broader political standpoints are necessary due to the fact that they are viewed as more solid than actions of the individual; still this does not leave room for irresponsible actions from the public. “Only if the majority of the public votes for dedicated and brave politicians are the right decisions possible” he concludes.
Michele Micheletti, professor in Political Science at Stockholm University provided similar thoughts in a Dagens Nyheter article; the responsibility lies on the individual, “the alternative is that everything is regulated on an international level, something which is highly unlikely”.
The two polarities; the government vs. the individual; have spawned a number of reactions, the most powerful being a middle route of lower level commitment – smaller collectives that work on local level that empower the individuals without waiting for the full international or governmental involvement. I believe this is a valid way forward for purchasing functions struggling with these issues – regional or industry focused coalitions that set and uphold standards; this leaves room for powerful initiatives yet retains a form of sensibility providing a fundamental market balance.
