Responsibility | Voices come from its supply chain. Therefore, collaboration with its vendors and partners will play a critical role in its ability to achieve its goals. Salesforce is now embedding binding climate contract provisions into its supplier agreements with its “Sustainability Exhibit.” Additionally, it includes questions about sustainability when requesting proposals for business, and its sustainability expectations are folded into supplier business reviews. Alongside the more traditional business KPIs and metrics you might expect, Salesforce has developed a framework that allows for sustainability to be scored throughout the life cycle of its supplier relationships. Salesforce is already seeing these efforts pay off. Suppliers have said that the contractual requirements of the Sustainability Exhibit were the principal driver in setting science-based targets or advancing their timelines to begin purchasing carbon credits. Salesforce views these relationships as a partnership and an opportunity to bring other companies along on the net zero journey. Salesforce sets high expectations based on best practices and what the planet needs for a sustainable future, but recognizes that its supplier partners are in different stages of maturity with different resources. Across the sustainable procurement initiatives she leads, Louisa strives to take an inclusive approach to enabling progress by building in flexibility and providing support. According to Louisa, there is a hierarchy of priorities related to achieving net zero. You must reduce your emissions first, but we’re at a moment in the climate crisis when we need all-of-the-above strategies to get us to net zero as quickly as possible. This means compensating for We’re at a moment in the climate crisis when we need all-of-the-above strategies to get us to net zero as quickly as possible. Louisa McGuirk PPAI • MAY 2023 • 33
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