Demand Grows for Green Suppliers

More companies are considering green credentials when selecting outsourcing companies, according to a recent study by Brown-Wilson Group, Clearwater, Fla., which studies the outsourcing industry.

Nearly 90% of outsourcing decision-makers indicated that environmental stewardship would influence the choices they make when contracts come up for bid during the next year, according to the study.

Public companies are more likely to work green practices into future outsourcing contracts because of regulatory, shareholder and customer concerns, the survey found. More than 21% of public companies have already added green policies into existing contracts while more than 94% of respondents intend to add green clauses when they go to renegotiate.

Forty percent of companies expect suppliers to develop new green technologies, products and services that reduce waste, save energy and increase efficiency.

Brown-Wilson predicted that the next few years would be critical for outsourcing firms to establish “their road map to green leadership.”

The firm concluded that more companies are dumping environmentally unfriendly out-sourcers in a trend expected to continue.