Over the past several years, the evidence linking strong environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance with superior financial outcomes has grown strikingly consistent. Meta-analyses and empirical studies published between 2023 and 2025 reinforce earlier findings, showing not only that ESG initiatives matter for corporate sustainability, but that they are economically material.

Supplier ratings focus on external supplier behaviour, while maturity models assess an organisation’s internal capabilities to drive responsible sourcing over time. Tools like the Sustainable Procurement Maturity Tool (SPMT) help bridge this gap by evaluating an organisation’s readiness and capability to embed sustainability effectively.

Introduction: A Turning Point for SMEs Europe's 26.1 million SMEs represent the backbone of the EU economy (European Commission SME Performance Review, 2025), yet they face mounting pressure to demonstrate sustainability credentials. The Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard for SMEs (VSME), officially adopted by the European Commission on July 30, 2025 (EC Press Release IP/25/1843), marks a watershed moment for smaller businesses striving to integrate sustainability an

Introduction As organisations worldwide accelerate their adoption of AI-driven procurement tools, the convergence of sustainability, ethics, and technology governance has never been more urgent. Today’s procurement leaders stand at a pivotal crossroads: the choices we make in leveraging technology will define not only our operational performance but our social and environmental legacy. This publication explores the latest global trends in AI procurement, the challenges we mus