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S&P Global is a leader in financial information and analytics, but even the most advanced organizations still face hurdles when it comes to sustainability engagement across their supply chains. 

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With growing expectations from investors and customers alike, S&P Global needed a way to start real conversations — ones that encouraged suppliers to reflect, respond, and get involved.

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We spoke with Andrew Baer, Head of Responsible Procurement at S&P Global, about how Green Project enabled them to scale their supplier engagement program with empathy and ease. 

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“It took me a couple of years to decide that we truly needed a partner to make supplier engagement happen at scale,” Andrew said. “There is just so much to do, so many questionnaires and surveys and approaches, and so many suppliers to take on the journey with us.” 

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We also spoke with one of S&P Global’s suppliers, First Factory, about how the process sparked meaningful internal reflection. Don Gregori, Chief Operating Officer at First Factory, gave us the perspective of a supplier who moved from initial apprehension to genuine enthusiasm for the sustainability process. 

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Bridging the gap between ambition and action

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S&P Global connected with Green Project when they started looking for a partner who could help them bridge the gap between their internal sustainability goals and their external supplier action. 

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“Once we kicked off our partnership with Green Project, I didn’t need to micromanage,” Andrew said. “Which is a selling point for me because my team is small. Being able to trust the Green Project team was a great feeling.” 

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Green Project allowed S&P Global to roll out a supplier engagement program that felt less like a compliance exercise and more like a values-based dialogue.

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“Green Project provided a way to start the conversation without overwhelming suppliers. And in a way that adds value back to them, too,” Andrew said. “I got an email one day letting me know that First Factory was carbon neutral. It was a great day. At least a fourth of our vendors in attendance at our first webinar with Green Project went on to take some kind of climate action.” 

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“With some companies, you sign the contract and then you get ignored,” Andrew said. “But with Green Project, you get attention from day one, and they’re like an extension of my team now. They deliver on their promise, which means so much, because not everyone does. This level of customer service and support just doesn’t exist in other places.” 

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From apprehension to meaningful engagement

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First Factory, a digital development firm and longtime supplier to S&P Global, was apprehensive about S&P Global’s sustainability engagement request at first. 

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“When I spoke to First Factory and asked them if they were interested in doing some vendor engagement on sustainability, they were a bit skeptical,” Andrew said. “I invited them to our webinar with Green Project anyway, and luckily, they attended.” 

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That initial invitation became the catalyst for meaningful dialogue.

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“After he attended the webinar, Don got in touch with you,” Andrew said. “He realized that this was more than just a request from us at S&P Global — this was a much bigger issue and opportunity for him and his team.” 

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First Factory becomes a sustainability advocate

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From a supplier’s point of view, sustainability requests can often feel one-sided. But S&P Global’s request struck a different tone. 

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“The ask from S&P Global wasn’t just: what are you doing for us? It was about understanding our sustainability goals, internal initiatives, what we think is important, and how we can contribute to what aligns with S&P Global's focus,” Don said. “It also asked us what we thought S&P Global could improve on. I thought it was a really good, holistic survey.” 

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Don noted that the request prompted internal reflection at First Factory, helping his team think more intentionally about their own sustainability practices and supplier relationships.

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“Given how we’re structured, we had a light footprint to begin with,” Don said. “So at first I wasn’t sure this process would apply to us. But it was actually even more relevant to us so we could certify the work we had already done and understand what could make our footprint higher or lower going forward as we grow as a company.” 

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What started as a potential obligation became a positive touchpoint in the business relationship between S&P Global and First Factory.

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“We weren’t forced by S&P Global to go down this path,” Don said. “They encouraged us in the right ways where I understand the value and what it could mean for me and First Factory in terms of running a smarter organization.” 

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From conversations to climate action

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Green Project served as the connective tissue between S&P Global and First Factory — offering a simple, structured, and scalable way to engage vendors in sustainability conversations. The result was not only higher supplier participation, but stronger relationships and deeper alignment.

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“If I had to give advice to other supplies in the same position, I would tell them not to be afraid of quantifying their footprint as a first step,” Don said. “It’s okay to be far from carbon neutral. Your buyer won’t expect you to get to zero by the end of the year or you’ll lose their business. Think of your carbon footprint as a map.” 

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“Just quantify first and then you can identify what’s easiest to address first. Start with the basic inefficiencies. A lot of times, changing processes to reduce your carbon footprint improves efficiency across the board. That was the best part of the process for us.” 

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From rethinking corporate travel and office space all the way to switching to a digital signature tool instead of printing and mailing contracts, Don and his team unlocked efficiencies as they sought to understand and mitigate their footprint. 

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“It didn’t feel like a compliance checklist,” Don added. “It felt like a mutually-beneficial conversation.”

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Real engagement, real results

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S&P Global and First Factory’s shared success shows what’s possible when supplier engagement is rooted in dialogue, not demands. With Green Project’s help, both companies walked away with new insights — and a stronger relationship.

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“S&P Global was the impetus of our sustainability journey, and Green Project helped make it possible,” Don said. “But I do want to shout out Andrew who got me personally invested in the journey. If it wasn’t for him and the time he took to connect with me, we wouldn’t be here right now. I think we need to recognize the importance of people talking to people, real relationship-building, as part of this process.” 

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“When First Factory let us know that they were carbon neutral and they could prove it, I immediately started putting together a letter to our leadership team” Andrew said. “I wanted to say: this is what we’ve done and this is what is possible with strong supplier engagement and the right partnerships. This is what taking it day by day and working with companies like Green Project can get us.”

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