I highly recommend the article by Prof. Tim Smith, University Minnesota, Climate Change: Corporate Sustainability in the Supply Chain
Smith reviews several threats to business and the environment caused by inadequate attention to sustainability by the entire range of participants in the supply chain. Companies can't just focus on their own operations to become sustainable. The majority of impacts come from other actors up and down the supply chain. Not only are those other actors causing adverse contributions to global warming, pollution, water scarcity, etc. in their everyday activities - but the lack of attention to managing the full range of social, economic and environmental risks put the next guys in the chain at risk when they get slammed by a hurricane, drought, fire, accident and/or social disruption (strike, revolution).
Smith gives many examples of disruptions that have occurred and steps being taken by several large companies to make sure they can precent and survive the next ones.
LIfe cycle thinking. Systems thinking. Recognizing unintended consequences. Preventing adverse outcomes. Resilience.
Understand your supply chain vulnerabilities and work together to achieve sustainable systems.
- Tags:
- supply chain
- Sustainability