We try to avoid explicit political commentary here at SSC – it’s guaranteed to tick off someone, and we’re not in the business of ticking people off. We’re in the business of promoting and facilitating sustainability! So we’ll keep our little green hands away from the conversation about the current debt-ceiling crisis. Let’s just say that President Obama and Speaker Boehner are both very well dressed men, and leave it at that.
(Of course, if either of them are reading this, and want to learn more about energy efficiency strategies for the White House or Capitol building, our email is info@sustainabilityconsulting.com, or learn how to conduct their very own energy audit!)
The crisis got us thinking, however. One of the reasons the sustainability movement has taken off, is the ability of its advocates to work together towards a common goal – something our elected representatives seem to have a hard time doing. And while the eyes of the world look to Washington and see political maneuvering and other tomfoolery, we want to highlight a group of people dedicated to collaboration.
SSC has partnered with the Efficiency Exchange (EEx), a sustainable solutions provider that helps Chinese factories reduce energy consumption, to conduct a Retail Supply Chain Sustainability Research Project. The project, in conjunction with the University of Maryland Smith School of Business and the George Washington University School of Business, aims to gather and analyze supply chain data from retailers throughout the US who engage in sustainability initiatives. EEx hopes to gain insight from these retailers and their suppliers to develop a comprehensive study showcasing the most forward thinking and innovative practitioners of the sustainability movement.
Working with EEx is a great example of why we love our jobs – we get to work with the best and brightest minds in the area with a common goal of global impact. Value chains have expanded at unprecedented speeds over the last few decades; those fancy pants you’re wearing may have traveled through four continents in production, and might contain materials from ten different countries. The US imports more goods from China than it does from any other country; this makes it critically important to generate sustainability best practices for Sino-American supply chains.
EEx’s project will extend from Greenwich Village to Shenzhen, China. As supply chains lengthen and logistics grow more complex, SSC will continue to bring industry-leading insight from around the world into workplaces around the country. So maybe, just maybe, those expensive suits that Obama and Boehner wear will not only look good, but be sustainable as well!