Procurement Leaders Now See More ROI from Supply Chain Innovation Than Compliance, EcoVadis and Accenture Find

The 2026 Sustainable Procurement Barometer shows leading companies are turning sustainability into measurable business performance, with AI accelerating results

PARIS and NEW YORK, April 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2026 Sustainable Procurement Barometer from EcoVadis, in collaboration with Accenture, shows that top-performing organizations now generate more return from innovation than compliance. Among the top 10% of performers (leaders), 80% cite innovation, now surpassing compliance, as the primary driver of ROI in their sustainable procurement programs, compared to 54% of other companies.

Procurement leaders increasingly prioritize value creation through circular products, resource efficiency, and supplier-driven innovation. Today, 58% of organizations run innovation initiatives across 26%–75% of supplier spends, compared with just 9% in 2024.

The findings reflect a broader shift. Procurement teams are under pressure to manage cost, risk, and disruption while delivering on sustainability goals. Leading organizations are responding by embedding sustainability into core business decisions and using it to improve resilience, efficiency, and growth.

According to research conducted by Accenture, disruptions are costing organizations more than $1.6 trillion in lost annual revenue growth. Organizations that proactively build more resilient supply chains are better equipped to manage multi-tier sustainability risks, achieving 3.6% higher revenue growth than their peers.

A new gap is also emerging: a growing digital asymmetry between buyers and suppliers. To build resilience and turn supplier data into faster, more effective decisions, procurement teams are also turning to AI. The Barometer shows that while a majority of buyers are now deploying AI tools operationally for predictive analytics (72%), risk screening (64%), and data validation (62%), suppliers are lagging on AI adoption.

This emerging digital asymmetry risks widening existing ESG data gaps and limiting visibility and value creation across supply networks. In fact, nearly 80% of buyers have visibility into the sustainability performance of more than half of their Tier 1 suppliers, but Tier 2 remains a blind spot (only 12% at 50%+ visibility) and Tier 3 is largely opaque.

"The question is no longer whether to invest in sustainable procurement. It is how to make it deliver measurable business results," said Pierre-François Thaler, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of EcoVadis. "The leaders are using sustainability data to make everyday sourcing decisions, applying AI to manage risk and performance at scale, and holding suppliers accountable for improvement. That is what turns sustainability into cost control, resilience, and growth."

The Barometer also shows global convergence around three core topics: net-zero and carbon management, supplier workforce practices, and circularity and resource efficiency. But regional differences in other sustainability priorities reflect varying regulatory and market trajectories.

1. Carbon management remains the strategic constant. Managing supply chain emissions and advancing net-zero progress is still the leading priority, cited as a top-three program focus area by 54% of organizations. Teams expect carbon to remain just as important over the next two to three years. 
2. Supplier labor practices are foundational to programs. High labor standards are becoming a baseline expectation as programs mature, driven by continued stakeholder scrutiny and tightening due diligence requirements. Organizations face growing pressure to increase visibility into working conditions and human rights risks across their supply base. 
3. Value levers and emerging risks are rising on the agenda. As core priorities become embedded in program foundations, organizations are shifting their focus toward value-creation opportunities – such as circularity and responsible AI – and emerging risk areas like data ethics and digital traceability.

Across all regions, organizations are aligned on net-zero and carbon management, supplier workforce and labor practices, and circularity and resource efficiency as the most significant sustainability topics shaping sustainable procurement strategies.

"Many companies now consider sustainable procurement a core driver of business performance," said Matias Pollmann-Larsen, Global Risk, Resilience and Sustainable Value Chain Lead at Accenture. "Organizations that combine sustainability data with AI are making faster, more informed decisions across their supply chains. That is improving resilience, reducing disruption, and driving measurable growth."

For a complete look at the key trends and issues in the sustainable procurement landscape today, download the full 2026 Sustainable Procurement Barometer here.

To hear directly from EcoVadis' Pierre-François Thaler and Accenture' Matias Pollman-Larsen, register here to join our dedicated webinar as part of EcoVadis' Green Room series, on the 6th of May at 10.30am CET.

Methodology

The report is based on an in-depth survey of executives and senior leaders across 1,000 multinationals with more than $1 billion in annual revenue, and nearly 2,000 suppliers across global supply chains, collectively representing 20 industries and a balanced geographic distribution across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. More information is included in the report.

ABOUT ECOVADIS

EcoVadis is a purpose-driven company dedicated to embedding sustainability intelligence into every business decision worldwide. In 2024, EcoVadis acquired Ulula, a leading worker voice platform that strengthens its capabilities in supporting human rights due diligence. With global, trusted, and actionable ratings, businesses of all sizes rely on EcoVadis' detailed insights to comply with ESG regulations, reduce GHG emissions, and improve the sustainability performance of their business and value chain across 250 industries in 185 countries. Leaders like Johnson & Johnson, L'Oréal, Unilever, Bridgestone, BASF, and JPMorgan are among 175,000+ businesses that use EcoVadis ratings, risk, and carbon management tools and e-learning platform to accelerate their journey toward resilience, sustainable growth, and positive impact worldwide.

Learn more on: ecovadis.com or LinkedIn.

SOURCE EcoVadis Inc.