ABSTRACT
Since its beginnings in 1837, Procter and Gamble (P&G) has grown into a multinational corporation of over 110,000 employees. Prior to describing how the company's purchasing practices are integrated with its environmental programmes, it will be useful to understand the company's overall environmental policy and organisational structure. In the late 1980s, P&G published a formal Environmental Quality Policy. Organisationally, P&G's environmental responsibilities are divided across four key functions. These have some overlap in responsibilities, but in general address the following areas: Professional & Regulatory Services; Health, Safety and the Environment; Environmental Quality; and Public Affairs. The Global Environmental Management System makes the management of environmental issues across regions and businesses more effective in a variety of ways. For example, it allows the company to learn about new issues more quickly; it enables the re-application of successful projects worldwide; it helps ensure consistency of purpose in P&G's worldwide environmental programmes.
