Procurement Model for Climate Mitigation in Energy Sectors

Why It Matters

The energy sector has a substantial environmental impact. By adopting a structured procurement model focused on sustainability, organizations can proactively minimize carbon emissions, optimize resource use, and align with global climate change mitigation goals.

Key Finding

A new procurement model that incorporates environmental considerations from the start, looks at the entire lifespan of resources, and promotes reuse can help energy companies reduce their impact on climate change.

Key Findings

• A structured procurement model can effectively integrate sustainability principles.
• Lifecycle analysis and circular economy approaches are crucial for environmental responsibility in sourcing.
• Supplier sustainability criteria are essential for driving change throughout the supply chain.
• The model demonstrated applicability in both traditional fossil fuel and renewable energy projects.

Research Evidence

Aim: How can a conceptual procurement model integrating green procurement, lifecycle analysis, and circular economy principles be structured to enhance sustainability and climate change mitigation in the oil, gas, and energy sectors?

Method: Conceptual modelling and case study analysis.

Procedure: The research developed a conceptual procurement model by integrating existing principles of green procurement, lifecycle analysis, and circular economy. This model was then applied and analyzed through case studies within the oil and renewable energy sectors to assess its applicability and identify challenges and outcomes.

Context: Oil, gas, and energy sectors.

Design Principle

Procurement decisions must embed lifecycle thinking and circular economy principles to achieve climate change mitigation goals.

How to Apply

When specifying materials or components for energy projects, consider their full lifecycle impact, potential for reuse or recycling, and the supplier's commitment to sustainable practices.

Limitations

The model is conceptual and requires further validation through broader empirical testing across diverse organizational contexts and sub-sectors within the energy industry.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: Think about the environment when you buy things for your design project, especially if it's for a big company like an energy company. Use a plan that looks at the whole life of the product and how to reuse materials to help the planet.

Why This Matters: Understanding how procurement choices affect the environment is crucial for designing sustainable products and systems, especially in industries with significant environmental footprints.

Critical Thinking: To what extent can the proposed procurement model be implemented in smaller energy companies or those with limited resources, and what are the potential trade-offs between sustainability goals and economic viability?

IA-Ready Paragraph: The procurement of materials and components for this design project has been guided by principles of sustainability and climate change mitigation, drawing inspiration from conceptual models that integrate green procurement, lifecycle analysis, and circular economy strategies. This approach ensures that environmental considerations are paramount, aiming to minimize the project's carbon footprint and promote responsible resource utilization throughout the product's lifecycle.

Project Tips

• When selecting materials or components for your design, research their environmental impact throughout their lifecycle.
• Consider how your chosen materials can be reused, repaired, or recycled at the end of the product's life.
• Investigate the sustainability practices of your potential suppliers.

How to Use in IA

• Reference this model when discussing your material selection process and how it contributes to environmental goals.
• Use the principles of lifecycle analysis and circular economy to justify your design choices.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate an understanding of how procurement decisions directly influence the environmental sustainability of a design.
• Clearly articulate the integration of lifecycle and circular economy thinking in your material selection.

Independent Variable: Integration of green procurement, lifecycle analysis, and circular economy principles into a procurement model.

Dependent Variable: Enhanced sustainability and climate change mitigation within the oil, gas, and energy sectors.

Controlled Variables: ["Organizational context (oil, gas, energy sectors).","Existing procurement processes."]

Strengths

• Provides a structured framework for sustainability in a critical industry.
• Integrates multiple key environmental concepts (green procurement, LCA, circular economy).

Critical Questions

• How can the effectiveness of this model be quantitatively measured in real-world applications?
• What are the primary barriers to adopting such a model in established energy companies?

Extended Essay Application

• Investigate the specific lifecycle impacts of a key material used in renewable energy technologies and propose a circular economy strategy for its end-of-life management.
• Develop a detailed supplier assessment framework based on sustainability criteria for a hypothetical energy project.

Source

A conceptual procurement model for sustainability and climate change mitigation in the oil, gas, and energy sectors · World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews · 2023 · 10.30574/wjarr.2023.20.3.2304