Supply Chain Environmental Sustainability

Professor Yossi Sheffi dives into the disruptions experienced by supply chains during the pandemic. Professor Sheffi's insights will shed light on the root causes and strategies for resilience. Join us as we explore the impacts on global economies and industries, and uncover valuable insights for navigating future challenges.

Professor Yossi Sheffi contributes to The Hill. Consumers consistently tell pollsters that they care about the environment. In fact, according to a 2022 report, 66 percent of them said that they are willing to pay more for sustainable products. Prior to the current inflationary trend, other studies reported an even higher proportion. Most corporate managers, however, know that the reality is very different.

Also Published in MIT News. 

Environmental sustainability in the supply chain is top of mind for consumers, and a brand that fails to hold itself responsible risks reputational damage that will affect the bottom line... It’s easy to criticize a company that isn’t making environmentally-conscience business decisions, but it’s also unconscionable for a company to make a decision against the best wishes of its stakeholders.

Governments and corporations have an opportunity to lead the transition toward sustainable consumption and production by shifting their purchasing power toward environmentally responsible supply networks. But this will require reliable information on complex global supply networks. What information and decision-support tools do governments and corporations need to galvanize this transition?

MIT Professor Yossi Sheffi discusses his new book, "When to Embrace Sustainability in a Business — and When Not To." The question at issue: When is sustainability an investment? And when is it a cost?

How much can we expect business to lead on sustainability? What should be a company’s biggest priority: serving its shareholders, providing jobs, or addressing the health of our planet?

This on-demand recording from our live event on MIT’s campus brings together two leading voices in the sustainability debate to answer these questions. Watch MIT’s Yossi Sheffi and sustainability expert and author Andrew Winston debate and discuss the role of for-profit businesses in supporting — and investing in — sustainability goals.