@Risk

Water is one of our most important natural resources, and it is quickly becoming a significant business growth and development risk. Climate change, population growth and increasing living standards are the culprits, each contributing to rising pressure on already scarce water resources.

Investors are beginning to take note, as it becomes more and more clear that sustainable water management is needed to mitigate business risks and help ensure access to sufficient quality and quantity of water supplies.

A new report by WWF and German development bank DEG contains some sobering news. According to DEG and WWF, 191 out of 319 companies studied as part of the report showed high potential business risks related to freshwater. These risks break down into three broad, inter-related categories: (more…)

Rare earth elements are essential for the manufacture of a variety of today’s new technologies, ranging from computer hard drives and precision-guided munitions to critical components of the clean energy economy.

These days, clean energy technologies –such as hybrid-electric batteries, wind turbines, solar cells and energy-efficient lighting –constitute about 20 percent of global consumption of rare earths. However, as these technologies become increasingly popular, their share of global consumption will continue to grow.  As a result, it’s no surprise that the US Department of Energy is keeping a careful eye on the global supply of rare earths.

Last week, the DOE released its Critical Materials Strategy, a report that analyzes fourteen elements and identifies five rare earth metals (dysprosium, neodymium, terbium, europium and yttrium), as well as indium, as the most critical based on importance to clean energy technologies and supply risk.

The report also explores eight policy and program areas that could help reduce vulnerabilities and address critical material needs. According to DOE, these areas include: (more…)

Even though the federal government has failed to pass meaningful climate change and energy legislation, “greening the supply chain” remains a priority for many companies. Businesses are turning to their supply chains to eliminate waste, reduce their environmental impact and diminish risks associated with climate change and resource depletion.

Now, more than ever before, a wide range of stakeholders, including commercial customers, consumers, investors, analysts and others, is demanding transparent information about the lifecycle of products and services.

To help you get your arms around these environmental concerns, Ernst & Young LLP has identified five specific climate change and sustainability risks to supply chain operations. This list includes: (more…)

During the economic turmoil of the past few years, companies have turned to their supply chains in order to maintain profits and respond to consumer demand for lower prices.

As a result, supply chain management (SCM) is now considered a core competency, according to the vast majority of respondents (82 percent) in the 2010 Global Survey of Supply Chain Progress, conducted by Supply Chain Management Review, The Eli Broad Graduate School of Management at Michigan State University and CSC, with assistance from The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and Supply Chain Europe magazine.

The survey was completed by 164 supply chain executives from 20 different industries worldwide, split evenly between manufacturing and service organizations. The results also show that: (more…)

Results of the 17th Annual Survey of Third-Party Logistics Providers have been released, and they show that most of the 3PL CEOs polled are considerably more bullish than they were last year. In total, 31 CEOs –representing the North American 3PL marketplace, the European 3PL market, and the Asia-Pacific 3PL market –participated in the survey, and  CEOs from all three regions indicated that  they were optimistic about future revenue growth prospects of not only their companies, but also the regional 3PL industry.

The report, conducted by Robert Lieb, professor of supply chain management at Northeastern University, and sponsored by Penske Logistics, also found that: (more…)