Sustainable SCM focuses on which of the following?

• A. Minimizing environmental impact and ensuring ethical sourcing.
• B. Increasing production speed at any cost.
• C. Maximizing inventory levels.
• D. Outsourcing all environmental concerns.

Answer: (A)

Sustainable supply chain management is about making decisions that balance economic performance with environmental protection and social responsibility across the entire supply chain. The best choice reflects this by aiming to minimize environmental impact and ensure ethical sourcing throughout supplier networks, which includes reducing waste, emissions, and energy use while maintaining transparency and responsible practices with suppliers. This approach aligns with the idea of considering environmental and social factors alongside cost and efficiency. The other options miss the essential focus on sustainability: prioritizing speed at any cost undermines environmental and ethical concerns; maximizing inventory promotes waste and unnecessary costs; outsourcing environmental concerns abdicates responsibility and breaks the integration needed for a sustainable chain.