A recursive ecological indicator system for the supply chain of a company

This paper proposes the concept of cumulative eco-intensity with which environmental or sustainability indicators are related to the added value of economic activities. The intensities are passed on recursively from supplier to supplier and thus make it possible to include upstream and downstream effects along the supply and waste disposal chain. The process is applied to whole companies and (by contrast with LCA) not to individual products. At comparatively low expenditure for the individual companies, it allows vertical comparisons along the value-adding chain and horizontal comparisons among companies or production locations. This provides a decision-making aid for a company seeking to fulfil its ecological or sustainability responsibility in the entire production and supply chains.     

CSR codes and the principal-agent problem in supply chains: four case studies

The benefits of corporate social responsibility (CSR) affect the entire supply chains a firm participates in. However, not every firm is in a position to force the implementation of CSR in its supply chains as some, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), lack the necessary power. Chain directors can implement it acting as a principal, whereas the other chain members can act as agents.In the principal-agent framework, two main problems occur due to information asymmetry: adverse selection and moral hazard. This paper examines how a code of conduct (i.e. Social Accountability 8000) can help address the principal-agent problem, for SMEs, between chain directors and partners. The research method involves four case studies on CSR practices as implemented by Italian and Dutch SMEs within their supply chains.     

Organising corporate social responsibility in international product chains

This article focuses on how companies can efficiently implement corporate social responsibility in international product chains by taking into account the particularities of their supply chain relationships. The way in which companies can organise chain responsibility will depend on both the diversity and the complexity of the product chain, the power of the company in the chain and the level of ambition set. On the basis of these four factors, a step-by-step plan has been developed to offer guidance to companies in choosing their own appropriate way of organising chain responsibility. In developing this plan, use was made of the experiences of 12 companies who participated in the programme entitled ‘CSR in an international context’ organised by CSR Netherlands.     

Influences, practices and opportunities for environmental supply chain management in Nova Scotia SMEs

Executives are increasingly paying attention to the importance of supply chain management [Lambert DM, Cooper MC. Issues in supply chain management. Industrial Marketing Management 2000;29(1):65–83; Hagelaar GJLF, van der Vorst JGAJ. Environmental supply chain management: using life cycle assessment to structure supply chains. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review 2002;4:399–412]. The management of the supply chain can be a central aspect of a company's competitive advantage [Preuss L. Rhetoric and reality of corporate greening: a view from the supply chain management function. Business Strategy and the Environment 2005;14:123–139]. SCM also offers considerable opportunities to reduce a company's environmental impact. The supply chains of three small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating in the Burnside Industrial Park in Nova Scotia, Canada were investigated to explore the opportunities to improve environmental performance of SMEs linked in supply chains. This study confirmed that time and, to a lesser degree, financial resources to address solid waste and energy issues are the greatest limiting factors. Small suppliers, and even to a certain degree medium-sized enterprises, have difficulties in allocating resources to initiatives that are not viewed as directly related to their core function, namely manufacturing the product or providing the service. This study clearly demonstrated that opportunities exist to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and solid waste. Although, the benefits that would be gained from the implementation of any of the individual actions in the supply chains explored in this study are individually small, the cumulative benefits that could be achieved among supply chains and within industrial parks are substantial, given the number of small- and medium-sized enterprises.     

An exploration of measures of social sustainability and their application to supply chain decisions

Sustainability recognizes the interdependence of ecological, social, and economic systems – the three pillars of sustainability. The definition of corporate social responsibility (CSR) often advocates ethical behavior with respect to these systems. As more corporations commit to sustainability and CSR policies, there is increasing pressure to consider social impacts throughout the supply chain. This paper reviews metrics, indicators, and frameworks of social impacts and initiatives relative to their ability to evaluate the social sustainability of supply chains. Then, the relationship between business decision-making and social sustainability is explored with attention initially focused on directly impacting national level measures. A general strategy for considering measures of social sustainability is proposed, and a variety of indicators of CSR are described. Several of these indicators are then employed in an example to demonstrate how they may be applied to supply chain decision-making.     

Integrating carbon footprint into supply chain management: the case of Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) in the automobile industry

The purpose of this paper is to improve our understanding of carbon footprint within the context of automobile supply chain management. The case study approach is employed as a research method. Primary data were collected through site visits and extensive interviews with HMC’s corporate and plant management. First, identification and measurement of direct and indirect carbon footprint is critical for mitigating supply chain risks. Second, setting the system boundary of measurement is another important issue to integrate the issue of carbon footprint into supply chain management. Third, developing a map of product carbon footprint facilitates identification and measurement of carbon emissions across the supply chain. Companies today operate in a carbon-constrained world. In particular, the automobile industry is under pressure to take a close look at its product carbon footprint. Managing the downstream consequences of the use of its products and inputs from upstream suppliers is critical for developing carbon risk-mitigated supply chain management. This paper is of benefit to academics and managers by providing a new way to integrate carbon emissions in supply chain management. Since climate change and carbon footprint present challenges to many industries, increasing our understanding of how to integrate carbon footprint in supply chain management is necessary, but has seen little research in the automobile industry.     

From a literature review to a conceptual framework for sustainable supply chain management

Academic and corporate interest in sustainable supply chain management has risen considerably in recent years. This can be seen by the number of papers published and in particular by journal special issues. To establish the field further, the purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it offers a literature review on sustainable supply chain management taking 191 papers published from 1994 to 2007 into account. Second, it offers a conceptual framework to summarize the research in this field comprising three parts. As starting point related triggers are identified. This allows putting forward two distinct strategies: (1) supplier management for risks and performance, and (2) supply chain management for sustainable products. It is evident that research is still dominated by green/environmental issues. Social aspects and also the integration of the three dimensions of sustainability are still rare.Both practitioners in companies and academics might find the review useful, as it outlines major lines of research in the field. Further, it discusses specific features of sustainable supply chains as well as limitations of existing research; this should stimulate further research.     

Environmental impact of future milk supply chains in Sweden: a scenario study

The objective of this study was to analyse the environmental impact of future supply chains for dairy products. A scenario technique was chosen because scenarios can yield information about the environmental consequences of certain lines of action or developments in a system. To quantify the effects of future systems, a mathematical model of the milk supply chain was constructed and used to simulate possible scenarios. The model was based mainly on life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The results show that any consideration of the environmental effects of the milk supply chain must consider the entire chain. The amount of packaging materials used is an important factor, as is the transportation of the dairy products to households.     

Technological environmental innovations (TEIs) in a chain-analytical and life-cycle-analytical perspective

This paper is based on an empirical survey of technological environmental innovations (TEIs), i.e. new products, processes and practices that come with benign environmental effects. The survey is based on product chain analysis and innovation life cycle analysis. It turns out that most TEIs occur upstream rather than downstream, i.e. chain-upwards in the beginning rather than in the end of product chains, and in early stages of technology or product development rather than in later, more mature stages. There are conclusions to be drawn for ‘upstreaming’ environmental activities and for focusing environmental policy upon innovation.     

企业环境责任评价体系及成果应用分析

随着环境保护部近年来众多环保举措的提出,企业的环境责任研究引起了学者和相关政府机构的重视。企业环境责任评价有利于提高企业环保意识和规范企业的环境行为,但目前仍缺乏相关机构对企业环境责任评价体系的独立研究和实践。本文通过对国内外企业环境责任的研究现状进行分析,引入了企业环境责任评价的必要性;在相关概念界定的基础上构建了企业环境责任评价指标体系,最后对评价成果的应用进行了探讨和研究。     

Improving sustainability through effective reuse of product returns: minimizing waste in a batch blending process environment

A case study of a successful reuse program in a batch blending production environment is presented. This program involves not only addressing the company's own potential waste, but also working with distributors and customers to take back and reuse product, thus eliminating the customers' burden of disposal. Implications of the program for downstream supply chain partners are identified and a structured approach for implementation is presented. Modification for use in similar production environments is possible, enhancing sustainability, while providing environmental as well as economic benefits.     

A model for supply chains environmental performance analysis and decision making

The need to include environmental criteria in the analysis of supply chains is increasingly recognized as a result both of limitations that are posed by legislation and regulations as well as of various motivations that a company may have. A decision model is proposed in this paper based on environmental performance indicators, which may support decision making in the case of supply chains in the presence of environmental considerations. The model uses a set of principles applicable to supply chains design and operation available from previous research work.     

Linking supply chain strength to sustainable development: a country-level analysis

Several global corporations have been severely criticized by different lobbying groups for the impact of their operations on the natural environment and on the local communities. Because corporate operations cannot be studied in isolation but rather as a part of a large network often referred to as a supply chain, this paper investigates the potential link between supply chain characteristics and sustainable development at the country level. In particular, the linkage between supply chain strength, generally defined as the number and quality of the suppliers and customers in a country, and the three dimensions of sustainable development namely environmental performance, corporate environmental practices, and social sustainability is assessed. Using archival data from The Global Competitiveness Report (2004–2005) and the 2005 Environmental Sustainability Index, a statistical assessment of the linkage was conducted. The results indicate that supply chain strength is positively linked to all three dimensions of sustainable development.     

排污总量控制区内河流出境断面目标考核技术

建立了排污总量控制区内出境断面考核体系.提出根据源与水质影响关系和年度污染物削减量制定控制断面年度目标值的计算公式及上游控制断面超标对下游断面影响的剔除方法.该体系已在河南省市、地政府环境责任目标考核中使用,并取得良好效果.      

Making resources work more efficiently – the importance of supply chain partnerships

State and federal governments in Australia have implemented a range of assistance programs for manufacturing industries to become more resource efficient and reduce waste. While many of these programs focus on Cleaner Production at single sites, an increasing number of assistance programs are offered across supply chains. Sustainability Victoria, a Victorian government authority, supports projects that focus on resource efficiencies across supply chains in key industry sectors.In this study, tools were adapted and utilised to identify efficiency potentials and losses across supply chains in the timber furniture manufacturing and the food industry sector. In this respect, waste generation and value loss due to inefficient use of critical materials within the processes were estimated from purchase and waste handling data. Primary companies were chosen to undertake efficiency trials that could demonstrate value gain across the supply chain.This study describes the realisation of greater efficiencies in material usage when engaging proactively with supply chain partners immediately adjacent to the primary company. Demonstration trials confirmed that through a more integrated approach among supply chain partners the potential in using materials more efficiently and design processes can lead to enhanced productivity without compromising environmental burden. Hence, the study describes targeted resource efficiency, recycling and process optimisation opportunities as identified in the supply chain trials on timber furniture manufacturing and food industries.     

Environmental supply chain dynamics

This paper investigates the circumstances under which “environmental supply chain dynamics” (ESCD) emerge. ESCD are a phenomenon where environmental innovations diffuse from a customer firm to a supplier firm. Its relevance is based on the argument that systemic approaches are needed to understand the environmental implications of industrial systems, of which supply chains are a key component. Furthermore, buyer–supplier relationships play a critical role in the decision-making processes of most suppliers, which in turn has the potential to stimulate environmental change within the supply chain. Based on case studies in the British and Japanese food retail sector and the British aerospace industry, it will be shown that ESCD emerge if there is a channel leader with sufficient channel power over their suppliers, technical competencies, and are themselves under specific environmental pressure.     

浅述企业社会责任和环保责任

经济的快速发展和新型工业化的到来,使中国经济在面临着重大发展机遇的同时,也面临着资源短缺,环境脆弱等严峻的挑战。为了迎接这一挑战,中国企业应结合国情,针对企业社会和环保责任缺失的状况,不断强化企业环保责任,促进社会的和谐发展。本文从目前企业履行环保责任现状分析,揭示出合理利用资源,保护环境。促进经济与自然、社会可持续发展,是中国企业肩负的重大社会责任。     

Bio-energy supply chains and stakeholders

What are the management challenges and opportunities of bio-energy chains for both running their business efficiently and effectively and fostering the relationships with most relevant external stakeholders? This question is approached by systematically reviewing papers at the interface of bio-energy and supply chain or logistics issues. The review conducted as content analysis is based on an analytic framework that conceives bio-energy chains between challenges and benefits of bio-energy production with simultaneous internal supply chain management and external stakeholder management needs. Smartly designed and operated bio-energy projects hold promising potentials of contributing to sustainable development by both mitigating climate change and strengthening adaptation capabilities. Our analysis distils specific strategies and success factors for tapping this potential on two levels: On a supply chain level, individually adapted and designed supply chain systems relying on trustful information exchange, cooperation and relational governance safeguard profitability while holding adverse ecological and social impacts of operation down; they allow, for instance, minimising costs and emissions, implementing new technologies, and coping with environmental uncertainties such as crop failures and volatile prices. On a stakeholder level, governments as key actors for designing the future legal framework of bio-energy are primary targets for lobbying activities of bio-energy representatives. Respective arguments may focus on economic development and job generation. By minimising its adverse impacts on society and eco-systems and by communicating these efforts credibly, bio-energy warrants its superiority over fossil energy systems. Involving NGOs and residents in early stages of bio-energy projects via transparent two-way communication considerably increase societal acceptance.     

关于跨省断面水质生态补偿与财政激励机制的思考

改善环境质量是环境保护的核心。当前,我国跨省界流域上下游治污协作机制尚未完全建立,权责落实与激励政策尚不完善,流域跨省界断面水质短期内难以得到根本改善。文章提出建立以水环境质量改善为导向的跨省财政激励机制,根据上下游出境断面水污染治理成本、水生态价值和发展机会成本以及延伸投入等,强化流域水质目标考核行政和经济"双重"约束机制,建立水质超标"罚款赔偿"和水质达标"奖励补偿"机制,是解决流域跨界污染问题的重要突破口,并建议"十三五"全面推动建立跨省断面水质财政激励机制,实现流域治理的成本共担、合作共治。     

Side effects of categorized environmental measures and their implications for impact analysis

Environmental measures have sometimes unintended side effects. The paper focuses on side effects that are the result of relations and feedback mechanisms between economic activities and industries in production–consumption chains. The theoretical framework of the chain analysis tools, life cycle assessment and substance flow analysis is used to define five different types of environmental measures: volume measures (1), efficiency measures (2), end-of-pipe emission reduction measures (3), re-use and recycling (4) and useful application of waste products (5). Each of these types of measures can re-direct substance flow in a different process, thus causing pollutant emissions to the environment to shift to similar or other emissions upstream or downstream in the economic chain. Using this categorization, the occurrence of a number of different processes that can lead to side effects can be predicted.