In observing the way various companies have responded to recent economic turmoil, some argue that continual economic and social change is the “new normal.” Instead of constantly reorienting to the changing conditions, perhaps a wiser approach is to create sustainable supply chain practices that adapt to conditions.

While the term “sustainable” has been used lately in the context of environmental and green issues, it also succinctly conveys the need to build and develop approaches and techniques for managing and operating the supply chain that will make the firm more responsive to a host of dynamic international conditions.

The purpose of this report is to examine the fundamental capabilities that firms must develop in order to establish sustainable supply chain management practices. It is a complementary report to our 18th annual trends and issues in logistics and transportation study.