Page 53 - Case Study Annual 2015

LAA Environmental Awards

Sustainability can be key to
conquer supply chain challenges

We are entering into an era of increasing unpredictability, extreme weather events,
economic meltdowns and social uprisings. Natural resources are declining,
populations are growing at rapid rates and business as usual is now business
unusual, increasing supply chain performance pressure and disruption.

At first glance the business and industrial Consumers too are increasingly questioning whether
operating environments appear to be bleak. production processes and delivery methods meet certain
But companies are increasingly rising to the environmental standards, before making a purchase
challenge and implementing programmes decision.
and processes that lead to meaningful sustainability.
This has become a world-wide trend and many The LAA Enviro Awards have been running since 2009
South African companies have produced some notable and recognise innovative and measurable achievements
successes. by companies in reducing resource usage, recycling and
re-using material, eliminating waste and significantly
Stakeholders are measuring business success not reducing their carbon footprint.
only on profit alone, but how those profits relate to the
company’s sustainability footprint and environmental As business and industry are increasingly called on
performance. Research claims that sustainable supply to reduce their impact on the environment, the LAA
chains are one of the fastest growing trends in logistics, Enviro Awards have particular significance within the
with more than two-thirds of 500 supply chain executives logistics and supply chain management sector, as they
saying it will play an important role in how they manage recognise organisations that have not only minimised
their supply chain through 2016 and beyond. environmental impact within their supply chains,
but have successfully complied with both local and
Supply chains offer the biggest risk and opportunity international regulations and green practices throughout
for companies when it comes to environmental issues. their supply chains.
The logistics and supply chain industries require a
significant amount of energy and are energy dependent. The judging panel includes nominated
They are constantly under pressure to reduce rising representatives of the various professional institutes,
energy costs in the form of both fuel and electricity vocational societies, trade and industry associations
and to minimise the environmental impact within their involved in the industry, as well as environmental
supply chains. specialists. The judges look for specific, measurable
data that can be assessed and compared with other
Road transport remains one of the main contributors companies operating in the same environment, or
to SA companies’ supply chain carbon footprint, which demonstrate innovative, forward thinking ways of
affects the environment directly. However, many other addressing this global challenge.
areas have been identified as contributors to the problem
and we recognise those companies that have addressed This year’s award winners demonstrate that many SA
this by creating new ‘greener’ facilities, improving companies are taking a serious approach to developing
transport management, broader waste elimination, as and implementing a wide spectrum of environmentally
well as in their implementation of new solution design friendly programmes, which have already begun to play
and processes. a role in minimising the impact of their operations on
our world. •

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