“If
resiliency has been the word that everybody has been using to describe supply chains in the past 2 years,
sustainability will be the focus for the next 2 (and beyond)”
This is how I opened a recent discussion on a
Supply Chain Canada Leadership Panel – Advancing Supply Chains through Sustainability.
I was joined by sustainability experts from The Kraft Heinz Company, University Health Network, OPG, and Sustainable Development Technology Canada in an absorbing discussion with 650 supply chain executives from around North America.
Sustainable Supply Chains from Design to Operate
We discussed the
main drivers of sustainability at the respective companies, and
the roll of supply chains in making sure businesses can meet their environmental, social, and financial targets.
Spoiler….
Supply Chains have a huge roll to play, as they are right in the middle of the challenges of climate change, waste, and the circular economy, so are both a major contributor to the problems, and a great area of focus where we can take action to address the problems.
As consumers, we all want to buy products that are sustainably
designed with end of life in mind. That are recyclable and environmentally sustainable to minimize carbon footprint of both processes and products by considering how to recycle, repurpose, reuse, or return to the earth.
And we want to buy them from sustainable companies that have a
plan in place to reduce or even better eradicate
emissions,
inequality, and
waste. That
Source materials from companies that have eliminated slave labor and ensure fair trade regulations across the supply chain. And that manufacture
, deliver and
operate goods with
minimal waste and
environment impact in a safe environment for the workforce that make and deliver them, and the customers that use them.
We also debated how to make sustainability a key performance metric, and how to gain buy in, and create a practical approach to execution.
Click here to watch the discussion in full.
And to learn more about how supply chain executives can enable both a
resilient and sustainable supply chain by balancing sustainability goals, growth commitments and profitability targets, download a recent
Oxford Economics Study - The Sustainable Supply Chain Paradox.
