Supply Chain Sustainability hero image

Supply Chain Sustainability

Creating more resilient, just, and transparent value chains

Supply chains are at the heart of sustainable business—essential to protecting the climate and natural ecosystems, while supporting the livelihoods and well-being of millions of people around the world.

The best pathway to reducing greenhouse gas emissions lies in the broader value chain. These complex global networks can also be incredibly fragile and opaque. As a result, most companies are unable to fully understand the risks and opportunities they face, cutting across diverse geographies, issue areas, and industries.

The media spotlight on recent global events, from the COVID-19 pandemic to extreme weather, has focused public attention on this vulnerability as never before. Meanwhile, consumers, investors, NGOs, and governments are stepping up their demands that supply chains are more sustainable, protect the environment and safeguard human rights.

At the same time, new tools—from blockchain technology to satellite monitoring—are enabling companies to innovate more quickly, bringing new transparency and efficiency to supply chain management.

12%

Climate change mitigation is the fastest-growing issue area for supply chain sustainability practitioners (its score increasing by 12 percent), followed by natural resource and biodiversity conservation. Employee welfare and worker safety remains the top issue.

160M

The ILO estimates that 160 million children are engaged in child labor, accounting for almost 1 in 10 of all children worldwide.

825K

825,000 tons of palm-based materials have been mapped via work through the Action for Sustainable Derivatives collaboration.

How We Can Help

Adding Value to Your Business and Society

As companies change their practices, it also has increased competition among companies to become more sustainable—a race to the top.  

BSR can work with you to help ensure your company stays at the leading edge, with strategies based on holistic sustainable sourcing approaches and across industries at the global level and at any supply chain tier.

With deep experience in the supply chains of multiple industries, we help companies develop innovative supply chain and procurement strategies that are tailored to your value chain’s specific contexts, challenges, and opportunities through offerings that include:

Due diligence and transparency icon

Due diligence and transparency

Maturity assessment of programs and policies icon

Maturity assessment of programs and policies

Strategic supplier engagement roadmap icon

Strategic supplier engagement roadmap

Commodity prioritization icon

Commodity prioritization

Circularity roadmaps icon

Circularity roadmaps

Scope 3/net-zero target setting and implementation for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) icon

Scope 3/net-zero target setting and implementation for small and medium enterprises (SMEs)

Worker, supplier, and management capacity building icon

Worker, supplier, and management capacity building

Innovative supplier financing icon

Innovative supplier financing


Who We Work With

NIKE, Inc.
Inter IKEA Holding B.V
Sony Group Corporation logo
Unilever PLC logo
Case Studies

Leather-Linked Soy Deforestation

In partnership with Trase, the Responsible Luxury Initiative (ReLI) investigated the deforestation risk linked to its members’ leather supply chains via soy in cattle feed.

Read More

Leather-Linked Soy Deforestation thumbnail image

Tools and Resources

Supply Chain Sustainability Resources

Our sample collection of BSR member-exclusive resources, including implementation toolkits, deep-dive topic briefings and reports, and other valuable content from our global team of sustainability experts.
Supplier Transformation Framework
Supplier Code of Conduct Worksheet
Buyer-Supplier Engagement to Reduce Scope 3 Emissions
Best Practices for Setting Supplier Expectations
See all Tools and Resources

BSR Members Only


Collaboration

Collective Solutions for Meaningful Impact

Our collaborative initiatives enable companies to transform their businesses while creating shared solutions to global challenges and make a meaningful systemic impact.

Our Experts

Depth of Experience and Knowledge

Our Supply Chain Sustainability team consists of global experts across multiple industries, bringing a depth of experience in developing sustainable business strategies and solutions.

Diana Wilkinson portrait

Diana Wilkinson

Global Lead, Supply Chain

New York

Lin Wang portrait

Lin Wang

Director, Transformation

Shanghai

Cliodhnagh Conlon portrait

Cliodhnagh Conlon

Director, Consumer Sectors

Paris

Indiana Vieljeux portrait

Indiana Vieljeux

Associate Director, Consumer Sectors

Paris

Erin Demarest Seglem portrait

Erin Demarest Seglem

Manager, Consumer Sectors

New York

Let’s talk about how BSR can help you to transform your business and achieve your sustainability goals.

Contact Us