Sustainable Procurement

In this June 2022 interview, Uwe Schulte speaks with Thomas Udesen, Chief Procurement Officer at Bayer, about sustainable procurement. Udesen, with a rich background in procurement and sustainability, outlines Bayer’s strategic focus on Life Sciences, emphasizing their mission “health for all, hunger for none”. He discusses the company’s transitions, including acquisitions and divestitures, highlighting procurement’s critical role in these changes. Udesen elaborates on Bayer’s sustainability efforts through their supplier code of conduct, industry collaborations like “Together for Sustainability”, and individual engagement initiatives such as the “Sustainable Procurement Pledge”. He stresses the importance of multi-stakeholder dialogue in addressing global challenges like food security and climate change and the need for procurement to lead in making sustainable business decisions. Udesen concludes with a call for collective action among procurement professionals to drive positive change and achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.