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Supply Management’s Role in Sustainability
March 17, 2008
I was in a meeting a while back with a bunch of my ISM group and they kept talking about going to sustainability meetings. I guess being in the distribution business, I was clueless as to what they were talking about. (An upcoming ISM satellite seminar on April 17 is on this exact thing, “Supply Management’s Role in Sustainability.”) The topic of “Sustainability” has leapt into corporate boardrooms, raising questions of company’s social responsibility and environmental practice, policies and decision-making.
"Sustainability is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." This definition was created in 1987 at the World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission). It is enshrined in the Swiss federal constitution. It is similar to the “seventh generation” philosophy of the Native American Iroquois Confederacy. Mandating that chiefs always consider the effects of their actions on their descendants seven generations in the future.
After a quick search on Ask.com, I found this information on the Sustainability Dictionary. If our leaders in today’s world considered the seventh generation concept, would we do what we are doing now?
Everything today has to be measured, even your people, in some companies; they are a number and a rating. There are many ways to measure or define sustainability. As described in the book Natural Capitalism, in business, these should include the sustainable development and use of, at least, the following four types of capital:
- Financial Capital
- Manufacturing Capital
- Natural Capital
- Human Capital
In addition, many organizations use the following criteria to assess sustainable products, services, and other activities:
- Social Criteria
- Financial Criteria
- Environmental Criteria
In Texas, you do not have to drive far to pass one of these environmental dumps. It looks like a mountain of dirt, however it does have a smell if the wind is blowing in the right direction. I am one of these that do not like to use the recycle bin furnished by the city.
It is a good thing; my husband takes care of this. I was in a hotel recently that actually had a trash container that had sections for plastic, paper and etc. Some people are really taking this seriously. Don’t get me wrong, this is a good thing and it only takes a little extra time to help preserve our environment. We need to all work at it, at home and at work.
Posted by Mary Walker on March 17, 2008 | Comments (0)