I’ve been going through the results of our Green Supply Chain Survey II.

We’ve completed the survey exactly one year after our first Green Supply Chain Survey, the results of which were included in the inaugural issue of Supply Chain Asia Magazine at a time when sustainability in supply chains was a subject still relatively low in profile but its profile was growing rapidly.

The key results of the first survey were not too surprising. The vast majority of respondents – which comprised a nearly equal mix of shippers, consultants and other supply chain service vendors – said they believed sustainability was not taken into account in the operation of the majority of supply chains in Asia Pacific. More than 80% said they believed the issue would be of growing importance going forward.

One year later, the number of respondents who believe sustainability is not taken into account in the operation of the majority of supply chains in Asia has dropped from around 90% to just 54%.

A drop of this magnitude in the space of just one year is very telling.

We believe the size of the drop is probably mostly a reflection of the enormous profile the issue now commands, rather than a reflection of the serious move into sustainable supply chains in the region that the number suggests.

It is true, and very evident in responses to the other questions in our second survey, that businesses are indeed putting more resources into greening their supply chains. There is more measurement of carbon footprints going on, and emission reduction measures as well as environmentally-concerned adjustments in areas such as packaging and energy-usage are also clearly taking place, to a greater or lesser extent. 

Evidence, however, of the comprehensive, organisation-wide change on an industry-wide basis that is really necessary is still scant. The profile the issue has is of course very welcome, as are the environmentally-concerned changes and adjustments that have started to take place. These bode well for real and lasting change. What is needed now is for organisations to understand that far from an inconvenient cost, becoming a sustainable business on the deep level that is required will be a major driver of profitability and competitive advantage going forward for myriad reasons, not least because it will be what customers demand.

Turloch Mooney
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