Product Announcement: Supply Chain Solutions Center Offers Searchable Database

Sustainability professionals have a new tool to help them manage and mitigate the environmental impacts of their supply chains. The Supply Chain Solutions Center, developed by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) in collaboration with over 10 organizations, gives companies access to information on sustainability resources via an easily searchable interface.

Nearly half of Fortune 500 companies - 48% - have at least one climate or clean energy target. And globally, consumer packaged goods supply chains are responsible for over 60% of greenhouse gas emissions and two-thirds of tropical deforestation. But as global supply chains are often massive and opaque, they can be difficult for organizations to manage, and the vast number of tools and solutions can be equally difficult to digest.

With the Supply Chain Solutions Center, sustainability professionals have an “intuitive, easy-to-use resource where they can quickly filter and find rich content and tools related to the aspects of supply chains that they’re working on, explains Suzanne Shelton, president and CEO of Shelton Group, a communications firm that worked with EDF to create the tool.

The Supply Chain Solutions Center offers information across six areas: agriculture, energy, chemicals, waste, forests and freight. Tools include:

• Beginner, intermediate and advanced guides for understanding the six sustainability areas, creating a sustainability plan and achieving corporate sustainability goals.
• Case studies from companies such as Smithfield Foods, IKEA and Panera Bread Company that detail how the companies have accomplished environmental goals.
• Model corporate chemical policies for retailers, grocers or brands to show a public commitment to safer chemicals, improve supply chain transparency, cultivate informed consumers and embed safer product design.

Users can also take an assessment to evaluate their sustainability efforts to date in order to find the most appropriate resources and create tailored profiles that will suggest relevant content from verified contributors. These contributors include Conservation International, CDP, BSR, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, The Sustainability Consortium, ReFED, Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, Further with Food, Shelton Group and GreenBiz.

When every aspect of a large and complicated supply chain has a lighter footprint, the economic and environmental rewards can be huge. “Integrating sustainable practices into our operations and supply chain has enabled Walmart to lower costs, spur innovation, inspire customer loyalty and help reduce impact on the environment,” says Laura Phillips, senior vice president for global sustainability at Walmart, Inc.