In recent times, attention to sustainability has become increasingly necessary; a required path to contain environmental degradation and try to stem the damage caused, over the years, by human action. Containing greenhouse gas emissions, preserving natural resources and defending ecosystems must be the task of everyone, in the private as well as the business world.
This is precisely why companies’ sourcing and procurement practices are increasingly moving toward green choices with a systemic connection between all the actors in the supply chain. A change that allows for a better and increasingly sustainable product or service, consequently increasing benefits, promoting business quality, improving safety standards and, at the same time, reducing the environmental impact of corporate work.
Here then, for a company, a sustainable supply chain becomes indispensable today not only to meet what are the green goals imposed by Europe but also to reduce inefficiencies, waste and risks and aim at optimizing resources and increasing corporate value with a view to sustainable development.
What it means to have a sustainable supply chain
Choosing to have a sustainable supply chain for a company means that the entire supply chain, from the manufacture of the product to its sale through distribution channels, must put in place sustainable and environmentally friendly practices that will minimize the negative effects not only on the planet but also on society and business management.
Sustainable principles must, therefore, drive the entire supply chain: from the sourcing of raw materials to their processing, through product distribution, to its use and disposal. Such a model, in which there is strategic coordination, not only enables the company to have less and less impact on the environment but also improves business performance in the long run through process efficiency and the adoption of practices that respect human rights.
Using recyclable raw materials, making production processes efficient, reducing waste generation and production waste, and choosing suppliers who can guarantee sustainable and responsible services and products are just some of the actions to be put in place.
How to choose suppliers
How to be sure that a supplier is working from a sustainable perspective? Supplier selection, as Prysmian teaches, is key to reducing emissions and thus making the entire supply chain neutral. Today there are certifications and sustainability standards that speak, requirements that companies can apply for to make sure that what is being supplied meets ESG criteria (environmental, social and governance), evaluation principles that take into account three dimensions: the environmental, social and governance dimensions that allow to establish the level of eco-sustainability of a professional or a company.
There are so many certifications, with endless possibilities for training, a value that increases credibility and prestige. These are related, for example, to green building, energy, climate risk, circular economy, events, and so on.
