Sustainable Supply Chain Management: State of the Art

Supply chains manage the movement of products from the acquisition of raw materials through production and finally distribution to the end user. A properly designed supply chain can create many opportunities to drive down cost and increase revenue opportunities. In order to create a supply chain that is sustainable and flexible it is necessary to identify and align company goals and initiatives with the manufacturing and distribution of products.

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Governments, environmental agencies, and corporations alike have utilized the term “sustainability” in order to convey their respective agendas for general sustainability in environmental, social, and economic realms. In spite of their initiatives, there has yet to be a generally agreed upon, uniform definition for “sustainability.” This lack of semantic clarity has promoted skepticism among some parties, skepticism primarily focused in the legitimacy of sustainability agendas, as well as the idea of sustainability in itself (Context & Development, 1992). This essay seeks to inspect the concepts of sustainability generated by two

Simchi, D., Kaminsky, P., Shankar, R. (2008). Designing and managing the supply chain: concepts, strategies, and case studies, 3, 384-385.

The inspirations behind sustainability are frequently unpredictable, individual and assorted. It is unlikely to make a rundown of reasons why such a large number of people, gatherings and groups are working towards this objective. However, for most people, sustainability comes down to the kind of future we are leaving for the next generation. Sustainability as a value is shared by numerous people and associations who exhibit this incentive in their policies, everyday exercises and

The word ‘sustainability’ has always inspired many ongoing debates among leaders, philosophers, researchers etc. These days it has become more like a stamp of approval.

However, for the purpose of this essay, sustainability will be defined as “the concept of sustainability explores the relationship among economic development, environmental quality, and social equity.” Furthermore, this concept of sustainability has been evolving since 1972, where it was introduced at the UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm. (Smith 2011).

Transforming a supply chain into a sustainable network is not an easy thing to do. Amongst the existing obstacles that Johnson (2004) gives us is the considerable size of this network: all along the differents ranks of suppliers that constitute the upstream of the chain, it is very hard to track the original source of the material and to broadcast best practices all accross that path. Furthermore, the lack of legal framework for labor conditions and environment preservation in developing countries makes it the more difficult to enforce

Of the various definitions for “sustainability” and “sustainable development” put forth by Agyeman, Bullard, and Evans, the most compelling and useful defines one sustainability as “the need to ensure a better quality of life for all, now, and into the future, in a just and equitable manner, while living within the limits of supporting ecosystems (Agyeman et al., p. 2). This definition is particularly suitable to sustainability because it captures its social justice component rather than portraying it as a solely environmental issue. Another key part is the mentioning of intra-generational equity which is crucial because many people fighting for sustainability will not be able to see the fruits of their labor but must still

“Resilient People, Resilient planet” is a report that was released by the United Nations Panel on Global sustainability in January 2012, which encourages sustainable actions. Moreover, this report advises people to use their human rights to pursue sustainability and encourages governments to take the proper initiatives to resolve current day issues. Currently, social issues such as, poverty, deforestation, global hunger, and climate changes are all leading factors of our failing environment. This report along with other sources portray sustainability as a social solution involving human rights and social justice by encouraging people and their governments to pursue a political and social lifestyle influenced by sustainable choices.

“The challenge of sustainability-that is, of integrating human well-being and natural integrity-is such that we can't go on as before. Business as usual or, more to the point fashion as usual, is not an option” (Fletcher.K., 2008).

The discussion of supply chains going green has become a bone of contention among major stakeholders in the industry. The discussion started after the Carbon disclosure project released a report indicating that supply chains contributed greatly to the emission of carbon in the atmosphere. Due to the report, pressure has been mounting on the administration of supply chains to implement strategies on their carbon management. Analysts have however stated that there are various pros and cons of the supply chains going green, which have to be considered in the implementation of carbon management strategies. This paper analyzes the pros and cons of supply chains going green.

There are numerous definitions of the terms ‘Sustainable’ and ‘Supply Chain’. For the simplistic but practical definition is “Management of raw materials and services from suppliers to manufacturer/ service provider to customer and back with improvement of the social and environmental impacts explicitly considered”. The supply chain considers the interactions between a business and its customers and suppliers. The greatest benefits are derived by extending the focus as far as possible upstream towards the raw materials, downstream towards the consumer and then back again as the product and wastes are recycled. Sustainable supply chains are among the biggest responsible business challenges. Accomplishing sustainable supply

Supply chain has gained importance in the current world of business. With the advent of globalization and competitive advantage being key aspects of organizational existence, it is essential to look into sustainability of the same. This research paper focuses on the need for this sustainability and how supply chains can make a difference to the sustainability of the planet. It will also explore supply chain practices that could be a source of competitive advantage.

BRIEF CONTENTS Preface xiii Part I -- Building a Strategic Framework to Analyze Supply Chains