Sustainable supply chain
Through the Sustainable Supply Chain Programme, the Rio 2016 Organising Committee created an environmentally and socially responsible model for procuring products and services which became a point of reference for events and private companies in Brazil.
The model encouraged suppliers to adhere to environmental standards, pursue sustainability certifications and respect the rights of workers, while simultaneously giving a competitive advantage to products and companies with enhanced sustainability practices. The Sustainable Supply Chain Programme included compliance and monitoring procedures and a responsible waste management plan to ensure reuse, recycling, donation and appropriate disposal of items after the Games.
Sustainability requirements were included as a contractual obligation on all sponsorship, licensing and conventional supply deals. All procurement categories were evaluated in terms of their environmental, social and economic impact. Categories identified as critical were specifically targeted for registration on the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange (Global Sedex), and suppliers were required to carry out audits. In cases identified as high risk, on-site production monitoring was carried out in addition to the audits. Suppliers that failed to pass the audit on critical matters were not hired, and an improvement plan was required whenever risks were identified during the auditing.
The launch of a procurement portal allowed the Organising Committee to communicate effectively with the supplier market, including small and medium-sized enterprises.
For the Games, Rio 2016 procured 30 million items using the pillars of transparency, cost reduction, risk management, operational excellence and sustainability. After the Games, and concerned with the life cycle of these items, which included office supplies, furniture and sports equipment, the Rio 2016 Organising Committee launched a donations programme. Products and materials used during the Games were donated to public agencies and non-profit organisations. Over 450 local organisations received approximately 46,000 items.
Rio 2016’s core supply chain principles of management practices, as well as specific environmental, social and economic requirements, were incorporated into the Sustainable Procurement Manual, developed by the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development (BCSD-Brazil), and inspired changes in the sustainable procurement practices of Brazilian companies.