Procurement leaders must urgently integrate Environmental Social Governance(ESG) framework in their procurement practices to ensure operational efficiency, the Chief Executive Officer of Harley Reed Group, William Tagoe has advocated.
Speaking at an Annual Procurement Leaders Network Breakfast Meeting in Accra, organised by Harley Reed, Mr Tagoe was equally of the conviction that ESG when incorporated into procurement processes would ensure resilience of organisations.
The meeting brought together senior procurement executives from Ghana's leading organisations to discuss this year’s theme: "Building ESG-Ready Supply Chains for Resilience, Strategic Advantage, and Regulatory Compliance."
The event aimed at creating increased awareness about ESG compliance requirements among the nation's procurement and supply chain leadership community.
ESG implementation
Mr Tagoe demonstrated to attendees how early ESG implementation—from sustainable sourcing to contract management through supplier evaluation processes —will make businesses more resilient while maintaining operational efficiency.
He explained that integrating ESG into purchasing decisions and supply chain practices will promote responsible sourcing and sustainable business operations.
The CEO identified the various benefits of the ESG stressing that "If you start now, you will reduce costs and build trust with stakeholders.”
He further pointed out that many foreign investors were ready to invest in companies that disclosed proper ESG compliance reports.
ESG compliance
The CEO was of the view that “Ghana's procurement leaders must demonstrate sophisticated understanding that ESG compliance is not merely about regulatory adherence—it's about creating sustainable competitive advantage in an increasingly complex global marketplace."
He advised the organisations to ensure ESG fundamentals and compliance requirements in Ghana, procurement strategy adoption for ESG implementation and building resilient supply chains through sustainable local sourcing among others.
"Organisations that have a procurement strategy for ESG compliance implementation will start to see benefits in the short, medium and long term." Mr Tagoe emphasised.
Participants
Some of the participants were of the opinion that ESG was both a cost and an investment. The discussions reinforced the critical importance of ESG integration in procurement strategy.
The participants were drawn from such organisations as Graphic Communications Group Limited, Telecel Ghana, Tullow Ghana, MTN Ghana, Stanbic Bank, Unilever, Toyota Ghana, GRIDCo, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, COCOBOD and Old Mutual Ghana.
Also in attendance were representatives from government agencies like the Ministry of Health, National Petroleum Authority and humanitarian organisations such as Care International.
Harley Reed
As a pan-African professional organisation established in 1991, Harley Reed comprises exceptional management and strategy consultants, accountants and training providers.
It specialises in helping African procurement, supply chain, logistics, transport and marketing professionals navigate complex transformation challenges whilst generating sustainable value.
