Implementing sustainable procurement practices in HE institutions and their supply chains: A case study in the UK

This paper investigates sustainable procurement, including the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability. A single in-depth case study method is employed to examine the practices for food procurement in a leading HE institution in the UK. The key findings include: the presence of multiple sustainable procurement initiatives which collectively address all three dimensions, though individually may focus on one dimension alone; the application of institutional theory to identify mimetic and normative pressures as the main influences; the varying perceptions regarding the identification of stakeholders and their roles; and the importance of local buying as a social sustainability strategy.