![Nicole Darnall in front of a projector screen that reads "Top 5 Barriers"](https://ke.news.prod.rtd.asu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/03/phoenix-procurement-darnall-asu-300x300.jpg)
Wanting to lessen its impact on the environment, the City of Phoenix decided to explore ways to make more eco-friendly purchasing decisions. Sustainability experts
Nicole Darnall and
Lily Hsueh were among the half-dozen ASU faculty to help them.
The ASU team assessed opportunities for purchasing improvements by conducting focus group interviews with city procurement specialists. After identifying complex organizational barriers and trade-offs, the team provided eight recommendations that will help Phoenix advance its 2050 environmental sustainability goals.
“By engaging city officials, our team was able to address one of the city's concerns — how it can further integrate environmental considerations into its purchasing processes,” said Darnall, the principal investigator. “At the same time, we developed a better understanding about sustainable procurement, advanced our research ideas, and engaged teams of graduate students in project-based learning. This project created wins for everyone.”