5 Steps to a Greener Supply Chain

After widespread disruptions to supply chains in early 2020, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, more organizations today are keenly aware of the critical role supply chains play in the resilience of their business.

In the public sector, this focus is combined with the Biden administration’s commitment to building more secure, climate-conscious supply chains, and it’s driving agencies toward strategies that can help to proactively manage supply chains for risk and resilience while improving their environmental impact.

In an article for Government Executive, Britt Harter, Guidehouse’s sustainability lead, and Alex Henry, director in Guidehouse’s Defense segment, said organizations must know the depth of their supply chains and supply chain networks to understand both their true climate impact and the associated risks.

“For public sector leaders, understanding how to include the carbon impact in sourcing decisions can help meet ambitious climate reduction targets and set the example of what a secure and climate-conscious supply chain looks like,” the pair said. “Organizations with a clear picture of their supply chain risks will be well-positioned to prepare for new regulations and requirements (climate-related and otherwise), will be able to guard against disruption, and will advance transparency and sustainable supply chain risk management.”

According to the article, to better understand climate-related vulnerabilities, public sector organizations should consider:

• Performing a supply chain illumination and risk analysis
• Measuring your supply chain’s greenhouse gas footprint
• Performing a climate risk assessment
• Conducting a climate hotspot analysis
• Driving supply chain climate engagement and progress

For details on each of these steps, read the article and check out Guidehouse’s Sustainability solutions for governments of all sizes and companies of all types.