“ SUSTAINABILITY IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN NEEDS TO START WITH PRODUCT INNOVATION ”
“ SUSTAINABILITY IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN NEEDS TO START WITH PRODUCT INNOVATION ”
SHERI HINISH CONSULTING GLOBAL LEADER FOR SUSTAINABILITY SERVICES , ALLIANCES AND STRATEGY , IBM
which among them “ feels sustainability is a personal responsibility ” in their life ? Every hand in the room went up . Next , she asked if people carried that same responsibility with them into their work lives . Same result .
IBM research shows chasm between ESG talk and action Hinish went on to say that this response chimed with findings from research conducted by the IBM Institute of Business Value , in conjunction with Oxford Economics , a leader in economic forecasting . The study – an annual undertaking – explores the intersection between digital transformation , modernisation and sustainability at a time when there ’ s a shift towards a valuesbased economy .
“ Our research shows environmental sustainability is absolutely a priority ,” Hinish said . “ But it also shows there ' s a gap between ambition and intention , and what actually happens in the decisions we make .”
She revealed that , although 86 % of CEOs surveyed said their organisation has a strategy for sustainability , less than half – just 35 % – have actually acted on this .
Such statistics pierce the very heart of the supply chain ’ s sustainability issue : there is enormous will and positive intent , but this is not translating into action . But it must – and soon , says Hinish .
IBM ’ s study also showed that CEOs view sustainability and regulatory pressures as their greatest challenges , with demand from boardrooms , investors and other stakeholders on this front – including customers – increasing by 20 % since 2021 ’ s figure . “ CEOs are reporting pressure to be transparent in their business operations and in the communities they operate ,” Hinish said .
Having shone a light on CEO mindsets , Hinish went on to ask what , exactly , transparency and sustainability mean ?
Transparency and sustainability ‘ all about trust ’ – Hinish “ A lot of folk think transparency and sustainability are all about due diligence and compliance . No , they ’ re not ; they ’ re about
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