Systematic Review - Network for Business Sustainability
Systematic Review - Network for Business Sustainability
Systematic Review - Network for Business Sustainability
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
LCA has multiple variants (Kaval, 2011). In<strong>for</strong>mation<br />
and communication technologies allow <strong>for</strong> systemwide<br />
comparisons of environmental advantages and<br />
disadvantages (Foster & Green, 2002). LCA has also<br />
been standardized by ISO 14000 into four elements:<br />
• Definition of the goal and scope: set the boundaries<br />
of the exercise<br />
• Life cycle inventory analysis: quantify the relevant<br />
impacts (e.g. materials used, waste produced)<br />
• Life cycle impact assessment: evaluate the values<br />
generated in analysis<br />
• Life cycle interpretation: examine the results, draw<br />
conclusions and make recommendations<br />
LCA extends the assessment of environmental impact<br />
beyond the boundaries of the firm (Buttol, Buonamici,<br />
Naldesi, Rinaldi, Zamagni & Masoni, 2012; Simon,<br />
Poole, Sweatman, Evans, Bhamra & McAloone, 2000).<br />
Other tools to support SOI similarly extend sustainability<br />
thinking beyond the boundary of the firm to include the<br />
firm’s supply chain. Extending engagement into the<br />
supply chain can significantly improve the likelihood of<br />
success <strong>for</strong> sustainable new product development (Lee<br />
& Kim, 2011), as sustainable inputs enable sustainable<br />
output. Sustainable supply chain innovation can affect<br />
the end product and all processes.<br />
3. Adopt sustainable supply chain management<br />
practices and ensure suppliers are operating<br />
sustainably<br />
Sustainable supply chain management 4 (SSCM) can<br />
take a variety of <strong>for</strong>ms and involve a variety of actors.<br />
For example, sharing in<strong>for</strong>mation with suppliers can<br />
help designers and product developers to innovate<br />
when developing prototypes and new products (Lee<br />
& Kim, 2011; Pujari et al., 2003). This in<strong>for</strong>mation<br />
exchange is especially valuable when supply-chain firms<br />
have different technological or environmental know-how<br />
(Lee & Kim, 2011).<br />
Other activities might include sourcing sustainable<br />
materials from alternative suppliers or working with<br />
existing suppliers to provide sustainable materials;<br />
developing sustainability standards <strong>for</strong> the supply chain<br />
and then operationalizing them through a supplier code<br />
of conduct; providing environmental design specification<br />
to suppliers; co-operating with suppliers to work toward<br />
environmental objectives; per<strong>for</strong>ming environmental<br />
audits <strong>for</strong> suppliers’ internal management; requiring<br />
suppliers’ ISO 14000/ISO 26000 certification;<br />
co-operating with customers on environmental<br />
objectives (Pujari et al., 2003; Zhu, Sarkis, & Lai, 2011).<br />
These tools build environmental sustainability into<br />
products and sometimes also into services. However,<br />
tools or even conceptual frameworks, <strong>for</strong> building<br />
social sustainability into products and services are less<br />
common. 5 <strong>Business</strong>es, policy makers and researchers<br />
need to develop a better understanding of how to<br />
maximize social value into environmental and other<br />
business process tools.<br />
4 A more common term is green supply chain management, which indicates the subordination of social to environmental considerations.<br />
5 However, see The (Social) Innovator’s toolkit: http://socialinnovation.ash.harvard.edu/innovators-toolkit.<br />
Innovating <strong>for</strong> <strong>Sustainability</strong> 31