Agency management recruitment firm de Poel has hit back against a survey by Supply Management of 100 private purchasers around the world, which suggests that 64% of buyers surveyed had not secured financial benefit from sustainability.

Chief executive of de Poel, Matthew Sanders, said: “de Poel’s solutions almost certainly come under the heading of sustainable procurement, but the responses we’ve had completely contradict the results of this survey.

“Every single one of our clients has reported savings of between 6 and 12% each year, and most claim to have benefitted almost immediately after implementing our solutions.

“If anything, sustainable procurement, at least as far as we’re concerned, has been high on the agenda for companies during the credit crunch.”