Page 158 - GHES-3-3

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Sustainable procurement in healthcare based on

the ISO 20400 framework and its environmental,
social, and governance effects

Keerthi D Souza 1,2,3,4 * , Nitin Labhasetwar 5 , Lallu Joseph 3,6,7 ,
Karan Thakur 3,8 , and Vijay Agarwal 7
1 Indian Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, India
2 CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, India
3 Sustainability Forum, Consortium of Accredited Healthcare Organizations, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
4 Life Giver Professional Services, LLP, Chennai, India
5 Department of Energy and Resource Management, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering
Research Institute, Nagpur, India
6 Department of Quality Management, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
7 Consortium of Accredited Healthcare Organizations, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
8 Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Apollo Hospitals Group, New Delhi, India

Academic editor:
Mihajlo Jakovljevic M.D. Ph.D. MAE Abstract
*Corresponding author: Sustainable procurement in the health sector is vital for integrating sustainability into
Keerthi D Souza
(keerthi.dsouza@lgpsllp.com) the value chain, decreasing environmental impact, and ensuring socially beneficial
practices. This study attempted to analyze the importance of sustainable procurement
Citation: Souza, K.D., Labhasetwar, in hospitals, the applicability of the International Organization for Standardization
N., Joseph, L., Thakur, K., &
Agarwal, V. (2025). Sustainable (ISO) 20400 framework in healthcare, and the effect of the Consortium of Accredited
procurement in healthcare based Healthcare Organizations (CAHO) masterclass on professionals’ understanding of
on the ISO 20400 framework and sustainable procurement. To understand sustainable procurement and its correlation
its environmental, social, and
governance effects. Global Health to ISO 20400, a literature review was conducted. Statistical evaluation was employed
Econ Sustain, 3(3):150-161. to evaluate the impact of the CAHO’s masterclass on professionals’ awareness,
https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.5663 intention to adopt, and perceived value of sustainable procurement through dialog
Received: October 29, 2024 and feedback from questionnaires. Data were kept confidential and anonymous.
Leading organizations, such as the United Nations Development Program, World
1st revised: January 18, 2025
Health Organization, and ISO, are advocating for sustainable procurement. The ISO
2nd revised: March 12, 2025 20400 framework offers valuable guidance for sustainability in procurement and has
Accepted: March 13, 2025 many benefits if implemented in the healthcare sector. The masterclass significantly
increased awareness, with 93% of participants agreeing on the benefits. Major
Published online: April 2, 2025
strategies, challenges, and a mix of contributions by sustainable procurement toward
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s). efficiency and social responsibility were discussed throughout the sessions. The results
This is an Open-Access article indicate that training schemes are necessary for sustainable procurement globally.
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution CAHO initiatives play a crucial role in raising awareness for global procurement,
License, permitting distribution, helping healthcare institutions enhance cost efficiency, minimize risks, and promote
and reproduction in any medium, sustainability by enhancing economic, environmental, and social performance.
provided the original work is
properly cited.
Publisher’s Note: AccScience Keywords: Sustainable procurement; Supply chain; Environmental, social, and
Publishing remains neutral with governance in healthcare; Reduced energy consumption; Social impact; Economic
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional impact; Governance
affiliations.

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2025) 150 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.5663