Driving sustainability across the supply chain: from insight to impact

Supply chains are coming under increasing pressure. The push for sustainability, geopolitical tensions, raw material shortages, and new regulations make one thing clear: if you don't know your supply chain, you're vulnerable.

Yet many organizations struggle with the same question: how do you turn ambitions into concrete improvements in the supply chain? And where in the chain can you make the biggest difference?

These questions are at the heart of new research from Nyenrode Business University, conducted on behalf of Topsector Logistics. The result is a practical methodology that maps the sustainability impact of products across the entire supply chain. The key idea: don't aim for perfection. Instead, figure out where the biggest impact can be made and focus your efforts there.

Why sustainability efforts stall

"Setting ESG goals, anyone can do that. But actually making your product or service more sustainable? That rarely gets very far," says associate professor Ingrid Koning.

According to Guido de Wit, program manager at Topsector Logistics, the real challenge lies in putting plans into practice. "A lot of companies draw up sustainability plans, but turning those into concrete actions on the shop floor is complicated."

That gap between ambition and execution is made worse by how organizations typically handle sustainability. "It tends to live in the compliance office, not on the work floor," says professor of supply chain management Jack van der Veen. "So the focus ends up on reporting and accountability rather than on actually making things better."

A methodology that puts the supply chain first

The methodology studied, SIVAA (Sustainability Impact Value Added Accounting), tackles that problem head-on. Rather than looking at individual organizations, it follows the product through the entire supply chain, from raw material to end user.

At each step, the method examines the "value added": both the economic value created and the associated sustainability impact. By mapping this step by step, you get a complete picture of the end product's total impact. This shifts the focus from reporting to managing. Not "how complete is our data?" but "where can we make the biggest improvement?"

Crucially, perfection is not required. "We're not chasing perfect data. The goal is to understand where the greatest opportunities are to reduce environmental damage, water usage, and CO₂ emissions," says associate professor Diane Zandee.

From research to actionable insights

The Nyenrode study focuses on validating and refining this methodology, which follows a series of practical steps: mapping the supply chain, identifying the key impact drivers, collecting data, and pinpointing where improvements will have the greatest effect.

One of the most important takeaways: getting started matters more than being thorough. Koning puts it plainly: "You can start today, literally on the back of a napkin. Sketch out a rough picture of your supply chain. Fill in whatever data you have for each part, then start having conversations with your suppliers."

Those conversations are essential, and according to Zandee, they require a new kind of collaboration: "You're essentially going on a journey together to find the right data that can be used as a management tool to actually drive improvements."

Beyond sustainability, geopolitics too

The insights this methodology produces go beyond CO₂ reduction. By mapping the supply chain, you also surface vulnerabilities, such as dependence on certain raw materials or exposure to geopolitical risk.

"Once you know where the weak points are in your supply chain, future shortages, political tensions, regulatory changes, you can start planning ahead," says Koning.

In a time of growing regulation and international instability, that kind of visibility is just as valuable as the sustainability gains themselves.

From talking to doing

The research conclusion is straightforward: organizations don't lack ambition. They lack practical tools. By centering the supply chain, moving forward without waiting for perfect data, and focusing on where the most impact is possible, sustainability becomes something concrete and achievable.