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Top Ten Best Practices for "Greening the Supply Chain"

Bryan Jacobs, International Director, Corporate Solutions, Jones Lang LaSalle and Michael Jordan, National Practice Lead, Senior Vice President, Energy and Sustainability Services Consulting, Jones Lang LaSalle (July 2011)

Editors Picks

1. Use environmental analysis as a catalyst for innovation;
2. Focus on a list of suppliers prioritized by environmental impact.
3. Manage environmental impacts where they occur-ideally before they occur or get worse.
4. Focus on the business, not social, value that green supply chain management creates.
5. Align green supply chain goals with business goals.
6. Evaluate the supply chain as a single life cycle system.
7. Encourage engagement and collaboration among all key stakeholders and provide training where appropriate.
8. Ask suppliers the right questions. The following questions are common:

• Details regarding their corporate environmental goals as well as the policies and procedures they use to ensure minimum impact on the environment
• Environmental performance awards, recognition, and certifications
• Participation in Carbon Disclosure Project, Global Reporting Initiative, or similar efforts
• Internal incentive and governance programs regarding environmental performance at the Board of Directors and C-suite level
• Greenhouse gas emissions programs
• Ability to identify opportunities for eco-related tax incentives or utility company rebates

9. Listen to the ideas of suppliers for how to assess performance in different industries. Unilaterally announcing a new set of sustainability ratings to suppliers without taking industry differences into consideration may lead to missed opportunities for improvement and other negative ramifications.
10. Utilize technology to support sustainable sourcing efforts.

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About the Author

Bryan Jacobs, International Director, Corporate Solutions, Jones Lang LaSalle
As international director at Jones Lang LaSalle, Bryan Jacobs leads all activity for accounts in the western United States. He oversees 12 client assignments including Cisco, Union Bank of California, Siebel, Solectron, City National Bank, WellPoint, Inc., and Disney. He leads the delivery of facility management services for this combined portfolio. Jacobs has 17 years of corporate real estate experience developing occupancy cost reduction programs, real estate strategies, facility operations reengineering, and post-merger portfolio consolidations. Prior to his current role, he was account manager for the Western Bancorp assignment, comprised of 60 locations throughout the western U.S. Before joining Jones Lang LaSalle, Jacobs was vice president and manager of the Asset Management Department of Home Savings of America. He also held positions for Glendale Federal Bank, L.J. Hooker International, and Marcus & Millchap Investment. He holds a BA degree in public administration and urban studies, with emphasis in city planning, from San Diego State University and a Master’s of Corporate Real Estate with Honors (MCR.h) designation from NACORE, and Real Property Administrator (RPA) designation from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA).

More articles by Michael Jordan

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