Across today’s manufacturing supply chains, there is a widening gap between what companies say about sustainability and what they can actually measure and manage. In a recent conversation with Material Handling & Logistics, Indrani de Silva of Sphera points out that while more organizations are setting climate and ESG targets, many still lack the data, tools and supplier alignment needed to turn those commitments into concrete results. Drawing on her experience advising global companies, she notes that too many efforts stall at the policy or pilot stage, never fully integrating sustainability into core supply-chain processes.
For New York manufacturers, de Silva’s insights highlight a practical way forward. Instead of chasing every new framework or buzzword, she recommends focusing on basics: building reliable data on supplier performance, setting clear expectations in procurement, and making sustainability part of ongoing operational improvement. By treating environmental and social metrics like any other key performance indicator, manufacturers can strengthen customer relationships, reduce risk and capture efficiencies across their value chains—while positioning themselves for tightening regulatory and market expectations.
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