The Sustainable Procurement Pledge + Making Circular Supply Chains Real with Thomas Udesen, CPO of Bayer and Co-Founder of SPP.Earth

We all have a role to play in the decade of our lives to reach the 2030 SDG vision. Procurement professionals though have a unique opportunity controlling about $8.3T of world trade in materials flow and services annually.

In one of the most inspiring episodes to date, Thomas Udeson, Chief Procurement Officer at Bayer and Co-Founder of the Sustainable Procurement Pledge (SPP.Earth) chats with Sheri Hinish (SupplyChainQueen) about his journey, the power of uniting under the SDGs for climate action and sustainability, and how procurement professionals are uniquely positioned to make this happen.

For Thomas, it started with a global curiosity hearing his father talk about shipments. He eloquently describes that “supply chains are the pulse of our society and humanity. Supply chains make things happen and what makes the world the great place it can become. And if you work in a supply chain you naturally get exposed to the beauty of people and diversity.”

The Sustainable Procurement Pledge (SPP) was born out of the climate strikes in late 2019. Thomas fundamentally believes that we have everything to make a meaningful impact and change. The SPP builds on commitments at the individual level.  The Sustainable Procurement Pledge (SPP) is a pro-bono community of those committed to embedding sustainability in to their procurement practices – and sharing knowledge and tools of how to do so.

To take the pledge and learn how to get started in embedding sustainability in your organization, visit spp.earth. To connect with Thomas and SPP on LinkedIn, visit https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustainable-procurement-pledge/

Please join the Ambassador LinkedIn Group on www.linkedin.com/groups/8845732/

Explore More Blog Posts

Making Industry 4.0 Real: Strategy, IT/OT Convergence, and the Human Side of Digital Transformation

Industry 4.0 is not a technology stack to purchase. It is a business transformation that…

The New Chain of Command: Women’s Leadership in Supply Chain

The leadership gap in global supply chain is not a pipeline problem. It is a…

Simulation Is the Missing Layer: Why Supply Chain Talent Development Needs Experiential Learning

Traditional supply chain education teaches frameworks without context, producing professionals who understand theory but freeze…

New Partnership with Innovation Forum and What North America Needs to Know About Sustainable Fashion and Apparel

The fashion and apparel industry is entering its most consequential regulatory era. Ahead of the…

The EU Right to Repair Is Here: What It Means for Circular Supply Chains

For twenty years, “circular economy” has been a slogan stitched into corporate sustainability reports. The…

5 Things Supply Chain Leaders Don’t Want to Hear About Sustainability in 2026

The gap between sustainability ambition and supply chain transformation is widening, not closing. After chairing…