Supply chain strategies for the UN sustainable development goal (UN SDG) 12: Responsible consumption and production

The United Nations drafted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership. This agenda for sustainable development has been adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, providing a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. At country level the UN SDGs are turned into regulations, impacting industries and their supply chains.

How to integrate the UN SDGs into supply chain management practices and to develop supply chain strategies that are meeting the 17 UN SDGs? These UN SDGs go beyond environmental sustainability and also try to close the inequality gap between developing and developed nations.

UN SDG 12: Responsible consumption and production

The goal of UN SDG 12 is to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Supply chain strategies:
1. Supply chains should be redesigned to incorporate reverse logistics. Reverse logistics (prevention, reduction, recycling, reuse) should be as robust-effective-efficient as supply logistics. Supply chain optimisation should equally optimise supply and reverse logistics.
2. Optimise supply chains to minimise waste in the supply chain network
3. Supply chain management systems should be able to create a sustainability report.

For more information on the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in your supply chain and greening your supply chain, please contact our supply chain analysts at info@lbbinternational.com.