Over the past few years, building a sustainable supply chain
has moved to the forefront in most business models. This is partially a result of activism and
media attention to these issues and also a function of concerns about the
ability to maintain production levels in the face of dwindling resources. Companies have found that sustainability is
good business and believe that consumers prefer products produced in a socially
conscious environmentally friendly manner.
Regardless of the reasons that move you to implement
sustainable practices, it is seldom sufficient to focus solely inside to four
walls of your company. A successful initiative
requires educating your suppliers and promoting sustainable business throughout
the supply chain.
Sustainability initiatives can cover a broad range of areas.
But they can generally be categorized into four major topics:
- Energy & Climate
Reduce energy costs
and greenhouse gas emissions
- Material Efficiency
Reduce waste and
enhance quality
- Nature & Resources
Responsibly sourced
raw materials
- People & Community
Safe and productive
workplaces and communities
So where do you begin?
The first step is to identify which sustainability areas are
most important to you. Just like every
management objective, the next step is to establish goals and targets and to
communicate them to your staff and your business partners. Find detailed metrics and measure your
current position as well as progress towards your goals. Encourage your business partners to measure
their performance and enlist them to help you meet your goals.
If all of us do our small part, we won’t be able to avoid
making the world a better place.
