Three companies step up to sponsor the 2021 report
The MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (MIT CTL) is delighted to confirm that three leading companies are sponsoring the 2021 MIT State of Supply Chain Sustainability report: transportation and third-party logistics provider C.H. Robinson, technology company Intel, and retailer Sam’s Club.
Now in its second year, MIT CTL produces the ground-breaking report in collaboration with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. The report explores how sustainability practices are being implemented in global supply chains and what that means for professionals, enterprises, industries, and the planet. This year’s report is due to be published on July 14.
“Our understanding of supply chain sustainability and its impact on people and their organizations is limited,” says Dr. Alexis Bateman, Director of MIT Sustainable Supply Chains. “We believe academic and industry cooperation is essential to understanding the complexity and evolution of sustainability efforts more broadly. Having the financial and network support of these leading companies will deepen our insight and enhance our impact.”
The 2020 report found that nearly half of supply chain professionals surveyed were receiving pressure to improve their firms’ supply chain sustainability adoption. Preliminary findings in the 2021 report see this pressure on the rise despite the challenges of a global pandemic. “In 2021, sustainability issues were rated by our customers as the second-highest concern after capacity,” said Rachel Schwalbach, Vice President of ESG at C.H. Robinson, during interviews for the upcoming report. Similarly, Ella Chan, Vice President of Business Initiatives at Sam's Club, noted, “We remain focused on strengthening business resilience, advocating for climate action, and reducing emissions in our operations.”
Even while pandemic concerns may have added more complexity to maintaining sustainability goals, overall early report results point to an ongoing commitment. Adam J. Schafer, Director of Supply Chain Responsibility at Intel, said, “When things shut down in China because of Covid-19, that slowed us down in terms of addressing our 2020 audit completion goals, but the impact on the sustainability movement overall was limited.”
Supply chains continue to become more globally connected. According to the report, consumers are increasingly taking social and environmental concerns into account in their decision-making. Therefore, understanding the actual state of supply chain sustainability today across industries, geographies, and functional roles has become vitally important.
Supply chain sustainability is a key part of MIT CTL’s mission to drive supply chain innovation into practice.
Media Contact: Arthur Grau agrau@mit.edu 617-253-4592
Visit: https://sustainable.mit.edu/state-of-sustainable-supply-chains/ to sign up to receive the report upon publication
View: MIT State of Supply Chain Sustainability Report 2021 pre-report infographic. Also downloadable here: https://sustainable.mit.edu/mit-ctl-state_sc-sustainability-social/
