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2.1 Sustainable vision and strategic goals
The first step of the proposed model is definition of the sustainable supply
chain vision and strategic goals. The general vision of each SSCSM should be based
on the Elkington’s [1] triple bottom line, i.e. balancing three fundamental sustainability
dimensions: economic, environmental and social. To define specific strategic goals, the
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards for sustainability reporting can be used. The
standards enable organisations to measure and understand their most critical impacts on
the environment, society and the economy [4]:
1. The economic dimension of sustainability concerns an organisation’s
impacts on the economic conditions of its stakeholders and on economic
systems at local, national, and global levels.
2. The environmental dimension of sustainability concerns an organisation’s
impacts on living and non-living natural systems, including land, air, water
and ecosystems.
3. The social dimension of sustainability concerns an organisation’s impacts
on the social systems within which it operates.
GRI defines the topic-specific standards for each dimension. Economic sustainability
includes six topics, environmental sustainability eight topics, and social sustainability
nineteen topics (see Table 2.1). A supply chain should select key topics, which are the
most important for the supply chain long-term success. Selection should be based on
comprehensive strategic analysis, i.e. supply chain analysis, supply chain business
environment analysis, and business environment scenarios. Next, it is necessary to define
strategic goals for each of the selected topics.
Table 2.1
GRI sustainability topics [4]
Economic Dimension
Environmental Dimension
Economic Performance
Materials
Market Presence
Energy
Indirect Economic Impacts
Water
Procurement Practices
Biodiversity
Anti-corruption
Emissions
Anti-competitive Behaviour
Effluents and Waste
Environmental Compliance
Supplier Environmental Assessment
Social Dimension
Employment
Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Labour/Management Relations
Human Rights Assessment
Occupational Health and Safety
Local Communities
Training and Education
Supplier Social Assessment
Diversity and Equal Opportunity
Public Policy
Non-discrimination
Customer Health and Safety