A Methodological Framework for Supply Chain Carbon Footprint Management

Tackling the environmental impact of global supply chain networks has emerged as a key priority for governments and corporations. To that effect, regulatory interventions, such as the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme, have been proposed and are gradually being implemented. In addition, as consumers become more environmentally sensitive, corporate social responsibility related issues are also posing additional pressures on companies to develop green policies. At the same time, environmentally friendly supply chain practices enable firms to achieve economic sustainability by developing a competitive advantage. As a result, supply chain stakeholders need firstly to capture comprehensively the environmental footprint of their supply chains and then to bring sustainability into their growth strategy. To that effect, this paper proposes a first-effort methodological framework for the management of the carbon footprint across the supply chain and during the product's life cycle.