Transitioning to sustainable supply chains

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Sustainability is becoming a high-profile issue for Canadian companies. Sustainability programs that consider the risks and opportunities associated with the economic, environmental, and social impacts of business activities are now common. In addition to focusing on their internal operations, many companies are now looking to build sustainability into their supply chains. This makes sense: supply chains often contain a company's most significant sustainability impacts. There are many questions, however, regarding how companies can build sustainability into their supply chains. Companies need to develop indicators of sustainability performance, select sustainable supply chain partners, and identify pathways to sustainability in their supply chains. This is challenging for many reasons, such as the multitude of potential performance indicators, the multi-tiered nature of supply chains, conflicts between sustainability objectives, and different sustainability trajectories. The long-term objective of this research program is to develop methodological foundations to guide companies through the transition to sustainable supply chains. Over the next five years, three interrelated short-term objectives will be pursued in support of the long-term objective. The short-term objectives will focus on the development of frameworks and models to (1) measure sustainable supply chain performance, (2) select sustainable supply chain partners, and (3) identify transition pathways for sustainable supply chains. Each objective will also include the application of the frameworks and models developed to industrial partners. Objective 1 will develop an analytical framework to select indicators for different supply chain tiers and to identify minimally acceptable levels of economic, environmental, and social performance. It will also focus on developing a composite index to measure sustainable supply chain performance. Objective 2 will develop a streamlined life cycle assessment tool to identify priority areas and evaluate the performance of upstream and downstream partners. It will also include developing mathematical models to guide partner selection. Objective 3 will explore how the sustainability trajectories of supply chains evolve over time. A framework to identify and assess trade-off situations, as well as trajectories towards supply chain sustainability, will be developed. Mathematical models exploring different trade-off situations and the effects of innovation on sustainability trajectories will also be developed. Each objective will include case studies with industrial partners. These case studies will provide a basis for validation, refinement, and an assessment of real-world implications. Graduate and undergraduate students will be involved throughout the entire research program. Collectively, the outputs of the research will provide a basis for improved sustainability performance in supply chains and more informed decision-making in this area.