Yicai Research Institute: How can enterprises build an efficient and sustainable green supply chain system? | Sustainable
2024-08-09
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“Carbon Neutrality Action Alliance Green Supply Chain Forum”It was successfully held in the Carbon Neutral Industrial Park in Baoshan District, Shanghai on July 18, 2024. The event was co-organized by Shanghai Environment Exchange, Baoshan District Development and Reform Commission, Carbon Neutral Action Alliance, and Baoshan District Green and Low-Carbon Development Alliance.China Business Network Research Instituteand China Business Network Sustainable Development Research CenterAs a sustainable co-construction partner,China Business Network broadcast the entire forum live。
This forumThe theme is "Building a green supply chain system for the industry and accelerating the green and low-carbon transformation of enterprises"Government agencies, industry experts and corporate executives who have achieved corresponding results in the "dual carbon" field are invited to offer suggestions and a roundtable forum will be held to jointly explore feasible paths for green supply chains to promote high-quality development.
Forum site
He Kebin, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and dean of the Carbon Neutrality Institute of Tsinghua University, Zhu Minglin, deputy director of the Shanghai Development and Reform Commission, Xiao Gang, member of the Standing Committee of the Baoshan District Committee of Shanghai and deputy district mayor, Guo Jianli, director of the Environmental and Resources Department of the Shanghai Development and Reform Commission, Lai Xiaoming, chairman of the Shanghai Environment Exchange and chairman of the Carbon Neutrality Action Alliance, as well as nearly 100 alliance members and Baoshan enterprise representatives attended the event.
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The following is what Yu Jian, Executive Director of the First Financial Research Institute, said at the forum:“How can enterprises build an efficient and sustainable green supply chain system? "Speech made.
Yu Jian, Executive Director of China Business Network Research Institute
Regarding how enterprises can build an efficient and sustainable green supply chain system, we can consider it from two aspects:The first is an efficient green supply chain system, and the second is a sustainable green supply chain system.
China Business Network started paying attention to sustainable development very early. We also believeFor social development, sustainable issues will become increasingly important.Because some economic data are just data, the ultimate goal is to achieve harmonious development between people and the environment. China Business Network has 16 years of research experience on corporate social responsibility in China and 3 years of observation on China's zero-carbon enterprises. In our research on both types of companies, we have involved the construction of green supply chains, and the former also includes consideration of the corporate social responsibility of suppliers.With the proposal of the national "3060" dual-carbon strategic goal and the popularization of the United Nations' 17 sustainable development goals for 2030, companies have made changes in the construction of green supply chains to keep pace with the times.
1. Build an efficient green supply chain system
(1) The connotation and extension of green supply chain have expanded at the current stage
The earliest concept of green supply chain only focused on environmental issues. It was first proposed by the Manufacturing Research Association of Michigan State University in a study on "Environmentally Responsible Manufacturing (ERM)" in 1996. It is also called environmentally conscious supply chain, which is based on green manufacturing theory and supply chain management technology, involving suppliers, manufacturers, sellers and consumers. The purpose is to minimize the impact on the environment and maximize resource efficiency throughout the entire process from material acquisition, processing, packaging, transportation and use to scrapping. This is the earliest connotation of green supply chain, focusing on environmental protection. However, in the new context of sustainable development, enterprises keep pace with the times in managing green supply chains, integrating the current enterprises' response to the country's "3060" dual-carbon development strategy and international sustainable development goals into the entire production process, and the green requirements for suppliers are becoming more diversified.In fact, the management of the green supply chain has added the content of low-carbon and sustainable goals, both in terms of conceptual expression and in the management of the company itself. For example, whether upstream and downstream suppliers comply with ESG management rules, whether they pay attention to biodiversity, etc.
One company we surveyed, in its description of building its own supply chain, not only paid attention to not using toxic and environmentally damaging raw materials, but also paid attention to whether the suppliers in the supply chain met the requirements for the use of new energy, whether they employed child labor, whether they destroyed biodiversity and other sustainable development goals.
(2) Different industries have different requirements and focuses on building green supply chains, and the management of green supply chains shows great differences in different industries.
Among the companies we surveyed, some Chinese real estate companies have included not destroying historical relics and farmland when using land in the construction of green supply chains. The purchased building materials must meet low-carbon environmental protection standards. The current requirements for energy-saving buildings are also very high. Some individual projects must meet the green environmental protection requirements put forward by customers. In addition, real estate companies have also put forward requirements for suppliers not to delay the payment of wages to migrant workers. This category belongs to the social level sustainable issues that are very characteristic of China's social development. For a new energy investment fund company we surveyed, its green supply chain construction is a very small part of its own management. For example, green procurement is not the main content of its green supply chain; but for a green industry investment company, there are very clear requirements on whether the invested projects are of green industry nature. In the process of promoting the development of investment projects, the fund itself is also promoting the green and sustainable development of the entire society and promoting the implementation of the "3060" dual carbon strategic goal. This is the important role of green industry investment funds in building the entire social green supply chain.
(3) Some large enterprises have developed a comprehensive green management system for suppliers, which has played a leading role in the construction of a green supply chain.
Large enterprises paid attention to the introduction of sustainable development concepts earlier.The creation of a green supply chain begins with the company’s overall formulation of a sustainable development management goal system, and the creation of a green supply chain has become an important part of the company’s sustainable management.Some large companies have formed a mature management system for suppliers in building green supply chains, some of which even provide full-cycle management and conduct regular assessments. Large companies have a say in building green supply chains, so the government currently focuses on the leading role of "chain leaders" in building green supply chains.
(4) The creation of a green supply chain is not just a matter for one company. It will also affect many upstream and downstream suppliers and stakeholders of the company, from the government to ordinary people living next to the company.
Creating a smooth green supply chain is often a large enterprise driving the construction of a green ecosystem, thereby forming a joint force for sustainable development for the entire society.For example, in terms of resource utilization, a company gradually increases the proportion of clean energy use and improves energy efficiency through green procurement, distributed photovoltaics, energy storage, and rainwater recycling system construction; formulates the "List of Environmental Pollution Factors" and "Hazardous Waste Management Specifications" to clarify the compliance discharge requirements and procedures for the three wastes, thereby protecting the environment; at the same time, establishes a digital management system to monitor the emission dynamics of hazardous wastes in real time; in terms of product design, it launches plastic-free/plastic-replacement packaging design to reduce the use of plastics; explores clean technology and green product research and development, which can achieve the recycling of resources and reduce terminal power consumption. Some companies have also launched the "Low-Carbon Energy Saving Manual" internally to practice environmental protection actions. Another very common way is for some companies to recycle and reuse the company's product packaging.
2. Build a sustainable green supply chain system
(1) The implementation of green supply chains can reduce costs and increase efficiency to a certain extent, and achieve sustainable development, but in some cases it also leads to increased costs. This is a problem that needs to be comprehensively considered and solved in reality.
First of all, what is the impact of building a green supply chain on enterprises? When we discussed with a company in Shanghai (Yingche Technology), Wang Lipeng, the company's vice president, said that building a green supply chain is not for the sake of being green, but to bring benefits to customers, consumers and the company itself. Therefore, in the long run, the creation of a green supply chain can enable enterprises to reduce costs and increase efficiency, not only for themselves, but also for all related parties. The development of enterprises can obtain economic benefits in the transformation of the green supply chain, thereby achieving the dual development of social and economic benefits of enterprises, and making the construction of green supply chains sustainable. When everyone first paid attention to green and sustainable development, they would ask a question: Is it more costly to do green and not profitable? In fact, in many fields, green and making money are not contradictory, and if done right, it will save more money, do more things, and achieve longer-term development. The person in charge of a development zone in Indonesia told me that if you do not comply with the regulations when building a green supply chain, you will have to pay the cost of non-compliance; energy conservation, environmental protection, and resource recycling can reduce costs for the company in the long run. Therefore, after seeing the benefits in this regard, the company is also motivated to practice green supply chains.
(2) Technological innovation is the most direct driving force for building a green supply chain, and it is also an important way to build a sustainable green supply chain.
How to reduce environmental pollution, how to reduce industrial water consumption, how to treat sewage, how to turn misplaced garbage into treasure, etc.Whether from the perspective of product design or from the perspective of energy conservation and recycling of raw materials, technological innovation is the direct force for solving these new problems and achieving green goals.Therefore, technological innovation is essential for the creation of a green supply chain, which is particularly evident in manufacturing companies. The clothing raw materials currently used by the waterless medium printing and dyeing technology of Esquel Group, a textile company I interviewed, are favored by many downstream clothing companies. This is the impact of technological progress on traditional industries. In emerging industries, such as smart driving, which is now talked about more by everyone, Yingche Technology has achieved 100% single driving in logistics heavy trucks, saving manpower and labor, and achieved an automatic mileage share of 90.2%-99.1%. Smart driving is commercialized on a regular basis, with a zero accident rate based on 51.36 million kilometers of data, and a smart fuel saving range of 2%-10%. Technological innovation brings advantages such as cost reduction, shortens the investment recovery cycle of customers, and leading autonomous driving technology has contributed to low-carbon energy conservation in trunk logistics. According to statistics, carbon dioxide emissions from intercity freight in my country account for about 50% of total automobile emissions.
3. The current green supply chain construction issues are also prominent
(1) Differentiation among enterprises in building green supply chains
Large companies focus on building green supply chains, and have the initiative and conditions to further build green supply chains. When talking about the problems and challenges encountered in achieving carbon neutrality, a large global manufacturing company we surveyed said that the levels of upstream suppliers are uneven, and the process of pushing carbon neutral green supply chain management and influence to the upstream is relatively difficult and long, and needs to be promoted step by step in a planned and focused manner. A large pharmaceutical company stated that it plans to remove suppliers that do not make green transformations from its procurement list this year. Even large companies have difficulties in purchasing upstream raw materials, so for small and medium-sized enterprises, the difficulties can be imagined. However,Chinese companies have a very strong ability to take action. When evaluating the global sustainable development status, some international organizations have stated that in some aspects, China has taken the lead and played a leading role.
(2) The whole society needs to further strengthen the promotion of green supply chain
Strengthen the promotion of green supply chain, so that the concept of sustainable development can penetrate into production and life, thusEnable the government to form a broader green consensus when formulating policies, enterprises during the production process, and consumers when consuming.At present, our publicity is not enough, and the extent of reaching enterprises and consumers is not enough, although there has been great progress compared with the past.
at present,Creating a sustainable green supply chain is a task and a responsibility. In the future, it will be a more scientific way of life that is closely related to everyone's life.
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Author: Yu Jian, Executive Director of China Business Network Research Institute
(This article comes from China Business Network)
