This Forbes article titled “Sustainable Manufacturing Must Balance Profitability, People and The Planet” states that no manufacturing company can claim to be sustainable without a sustainable supply chain and manufacturing process.
According to a report from the United States Environmental Protection Agency, “Sustainable manufacturing is the creation of manufactured products through economically-sound processes that minimize negative environmental impacts while conserving energy and natural resources. Sustainable manufacturing also enhances employee, community and product safety.”
This definition is not just for manufacturing companies. It can be used for any organization, regardless of what goods or services it provides. In other words, “Sustainable (insert what you do) is the creation of our product/service through economically-sound processes that minimize negative environmental impacts while conserving energy and natural resources. Sustainable (insert what you do) also enhances employee, community and product safety.”
In effect, just as the SEC is looking at sustainability and incorporating Scope 3 (the carbon emissions of all the entities that support the process of your business, including your supply chain vendors) into its new rules; all organizations need to not only look at their own sustainability program and ensure they are following a globally acknowledged and acceptable program, but they also need to look at their suppliers.
Here is an article on supply chain sustainability; speaking to both large organizations and the smaller vendors who serve them.
Here is a PPP on what your organization and your supply chain vendors should look for in a sustainability program.
And proving that it can be done, here are three small organizations, all linked via a supply chain, and all certified sustainable.