Set to revolutionize supply chain sustainability, a new web platform created by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is now available for professionals to more efficiently keep up with the increasing sustainability demands of the industry and help reduce the supply chain’s global corporate climate and chemical footprint.
The Supply Chain Solutions Center
The crowdsourced platform, called the Supply Chain Solutions Center (SCSC), has been dubbed the Netflix or Spotify of supply chain sustainability because its aim is to make finding sustainability solutions as easy as finding a movie on Netflix or a song on Spotify. If a song or a movie can be at our fingertips in just a few clicks, then so should sustainability solutions.
The user-friendly guides, information, and resources are divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced options, and can be filtered to industry (i.e. agriculture, energy, chemicals, waste, forests, and freight). Over 10 of the best global environmental NGOs have collaborated on the project, which combines:
- Resources
- Strategy templates
- Expert advice
- Executive interviews
- Webcasts
- Articles
- Reports
- Case studies
- Event listings
- Podcasts
- Briefings
These features will help retailers and brands to start using safer chemicals and product designs, enhance transparency, and improve their consumer lists. The platform also includes an easy-to-use, customizable, and searchable case study database from companies such as Smithfield Foods and IKEA, as well as templates for sustainability plans and corporate chemical policy models. It will also offer access to NGO experts for all aspects of supply chain sustainability.
The EDF is also actively seeking contributions from expert organizations. As more organizations join the Center, they help to update and enrich the platform’s resources.
To determine a business’ current sustainability level, the Center also offers users an online assessment to indicate where a business is lacking and what steps leadership can take to improve. Users can even tailor their personal profile and receive suggestions, notifications, and content from contributors such as the Sustainability Consortium, the Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, and the Sustainable Purchasing Consortium.
The Importance of Supply Chain Sustainability
According to The Sustainability Consortium’s 2016 Impact Report, over 60% of greenhouse gas emissions, 66% of tropical deforestation, and a staggering 80% of global water use are utilized by the global supply chain, so a platform like this should substantially help reduce company climate and chemical footprints. The Supply Chain Solutions Center will connect sustainability experts to the resources and experts they need in order to do so.
The platform can help companies reduce emissions and save substantial amounts of money; in 2017, over 4,800 companies reported reductions of 551 million metric tons of carbon dioxide saving a total of over $14 billion.
The Support Supply Chain Professionals Need to Focus on Sustainability
The simple Netflix-style platform is aimed at helping those who have the best environmental intentions but no idea where to start their sustainability journey. In the past, sustainability might have been demoted on a company’s to-do list. It was so difficult to know where to even begin that they often gave up before they even began – but now, consumers, investors, and employees are demanding that it be made a priority. For the companies who have been on the sustainability bandwagon for quite some time, this platform will help them get better, faster, thus improving and increasing business.
As the platform states, “The Supply Chain Solutions Center provides a roadmap to help you navigate the path towards alignment between business and environmental goals.” There is no membership fee to use this platform; companies simply sign up, create their profile, and receive customized notifications regarding services and best practices specifically tailored to their needs.