Environmental Issues have Affected Businesses' Capacity (Coursework Sample)

Environmental Issues have Affected Businesses' Capacity
Abstract
Over the last decade, environmental issues have affected businesses' capacity to create value for clients, shareholders, and stakeholders. Globally, workforces and supply chains have faced environmental pressures and attendant business liabilities. The new world powers such as India and China have also increased competition for natural resources. Emissions of carbon dioxide and water emissions are significant, and investors consider them essential to a company's performance. Therefore, firms need to share information about such aspects. Sustainable supply chain management emerged due to unsustainable practices in the production processes. Environmental degradation, global poverty, lack of human rights, health deficits, and corporate governance necessitated sustainable supply chain management. The main aim of sustainable practices in the supply management process was to push organizations to concentrate on reducing environmental issues and providing both economic and social benefits. Sustainable business practices are essential for a firm's current generation and performance and future generations. Adopting such practices is necessary since it will lead to sustainable growth in terms of profit and abiding with moral responsibilities.
Sustainable supply chain management entails integrating environmentally and financially viable actions, for example, waste management, recycling, and avoiding emissions, into the entire supply chain process. Generally, the supply chain cycle usually involves selecting and sourcing raw materials, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution consumption, and return and disposal of the wastes. In supply chain management, sustainability involves varying priorities such as environmental stewardship, resource conservation, financial savings, lowering carbon emissions, and ensuring social responsibility. The main goal of sustainability is to meet the current generation's needs without compromising the future. Sustainability will involve social, environmental, and economic systems. Social systems involve fair treatment of workers and abiding by the relevant laws and international treaties. Environmental sustainability usually results in activities that reduce the environmental impact resulting from supply chain practices. Economic sustainability usually leads to equitable distribution and efficient resource allocation. Such actions will ensure efficient and responsible behavior and profitability.
Impact of Sustainability on the Supply Chain Practices and Logistics System
Introduction
Since the UN published the 17 proposed sustainable development goals, sustainability has become a cornerstone in business management. It refers to the development that will meet the current needs without compromising the future generations' ability to realize their needs. Therefore, organizations need to undertake their activities while being sensitive to environmental, social, and economic aspects. Currently, manufacturing is an essential aspect of competitive advantage for companies (Martins et al. 2019, p.4140). It is required for industries to develop sustainable practices in manufacturing, supply, and distribution activities. In supply chain management, logistics is one of the most important aspects. Therefore, it is essential to understand how sustainability has led to the development of the entire supply chain process and logistics activities. Over the years, the logistics sector of the supply chain has been evolving, leading to greater operational performance.
Notably, the inclusion of sustainable guidelines in logistics management is an essential topic attracting huge interest among researchers. Sustainability in the logistics system is also necessary since it will greatly contribute to realizing the objectives proposed by the United Nations. Among the seventeen proposals by the UN, one seeks to ensure responsible production and consumption standards (Mulwa 2015). The objective is key since changes in the production process and distribution will lead to lower environmental impacts. For such changes to be realized, it is important to introduce sustainability in the logistics activities within the supply chain management. The need and significance of sustainable development are clear. However, there is still a need to research how sustainability goals will help solve future and current sustainability challenges (Mulwa 2015). Firms should undertake more research on logistics systems to explore various issues such as social aspects and environmental impacts of logistical activities. Within the productive system, no clear methods exist to analyze the social and ecological of logical operations in industries. Sustainable logistics can refer to the analysis and promotion of sustainable procurement, transportation, and packaging. It will also involve examining sustainable distribution, reverse logistics, design, and controlling sustainable supply chain operations. Sustainable logistics and supply chain management have great impacts on the environment. However, such procedures have also influenced social and economic aspects. Therefore the essay will discuss the impact of sustainability on logistics and supply chain management operations.