Sustainability: Taking a pause or moving forward?

This is an excerpt of the original article. It was written for the November 2017 edition of Supply Chain Management Review. The full article is available to current subscribers.

November 2017

There are strands of sustainability and corporate responsibility through much of this month’s issue. James T. Prokopanko, the former CEO and president of The Mosaic Company, details how corporate responsibility became his compass for leader ship when he took over the reins of the company back in 2007. Similarly, Joseph Ludorf, the executive director of supply chain for Cipla Medpro, details how revamping the planning process enables the South African pharmaceutical company to prof- itably supply drugs to underserved populations on the continent as part of its corporate mission. We round out the issue with five tips for intelli- gent risk taking in…

Browse this issue archive.

Already a subscriber? Access full edition now.

Need Help?

Contact customer service

847-559-7581   More options

Not a subscriber? Start your magazine subscription.

Are we all about to hit the pause button on sustainability? It’s a question that’s much in the news these days, and the signals can be confounding. As I write this column, the New York Times recently reported the EPA’s plans “to repeal President Barack Obama’s signature policy to curb greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.” On the one hand, the administration has declared that coal is now back in vogue. On the other, the New York Times has also reported that even in coal country, renewable energy sources are in demand. Exhibit one: The Kentucky Coal Mining Museum is installing solar panels.

At least some businesses seem to remain committed to sustainability and corporate responsibility. Major automakers like Volvo, GM and Ford have announced plans to expand their fleets of electric vehicles, while distribution center operators like Amazon continue to install solar panels on their rooftops, even in coal country. The question is: Will commitments to sustainability and good corporate citizenship remain if regulations are rolled back?

I put that question to the four senior executives who participated in SCMR’s first roundtable on sustainability. The answer from all four is summed up by something Keith Kenny of McDonald’s said: “McDonald’s emphasis is on leadership. We try to move ahead of legislation and are led instead by the work we do with academic and NGO partners and the expectation of our customers.” I hope you’ll learn as much from these industry leaders as I did.

SC
MR