ABSTRACT
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been recognised increasingly by policy-makers as playing a vital role in preserving a stable and diverse economic base in many countries. This chapter explores the implications of greener purchasing for SMEs and shows that their responses are far from uniform. McGraw-Hill reminds that companies are usually both customers and suppliers. This is equally true for large companies and for SMEs. As Hill points out, there are two strategies that customers adopt in pursuing their environmental agenda: Seeking 'information about the environmental aspects of policies, processes and systems from their suppliers'; and Imposing specific requirements on their suppliers. The chapter concludes that the pressures from customers to improve environmental performance should be tailored to individual SME circumstances. This contrasts with a discourse among some practitioners and academics that advocates the implementation of environmental management systems, the formulation of written environmental policy documents as being appropriate for all SMEs irrespective of size or circumstances.
