In line with its commitment to sustainability and social justice, AUNE has adopted a groundbreaking responsible purchasing policy (RPP) to guide its procurement of goods and services.
While typical RPPs focus primarily on environmental standards, AUNE’s policy also emphasizes social justice criteria relative to accessibility, inclusion, ethical production and local purchasing.
The policy sets high sustainability and social justice standards whose aims are to ensure the health, safety and inclusion of the AUNE community and visitors; reducing campus waste and greenhouse gas emissions; and strengthening the local economy by buying regional products and services. AUNE’s Sustainability and Social Justice Committee will continually revisit the policy and update it based on in-house research and outreach.
To support AUNE purchasing decisions, the policy also includes detailed implementation guidelines that identify preferred product attributes and include a resource list of vendors with third-party certifications, such as ENERGY STAR, EPEAT, Quality Assurance International, and TransFair USA. All phases in the life cycle of a potential product or service are considered, from material acquisition to manufacturing and distribution to disposal, including recycling potential.
Learn more about AUNE’s Sustainability and Social Justice efforts here.
