As more businesses adopt market-based instruments for sustainability, what do we know about making them successful? 

For investments in sustainability initiatives to be tangibly effective and to provide lasting results, organizations must ensure their integration into operations and procurement practice. 

Working with hundreds of companies and organizations over the last two decades, we offer five key elements of a successful sustainable sourcing program that have consistently worked for companies large and small. Among these are developing a sound sustainability strategy, clear and standard metrics that drive accountability for actually achieving reductions in climate risk, deforestation and human rights issues, and sustainability intelligence that will engage customers, stakeholders, and staff and justify investment. Applying these simple lessons and managing with a results-based mindset can effectively transform sustainability programs.

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Published by Evidensia, an open-source, online library of research on the sustainability impacts and effectiveness of supply chain initiatives and tools, was founded by ISEAL Alliance, Rainforest Alliance, and WWF with the support of the Global Environment Facility.