United Airlines is launching a Sustainable Supply Chain (SSC) initiative with a purpose to better understand the environmental performance of its suppliers and deepen relationships with its key supply chain partners. The initiative underscores United’s effort to guide commercial aviation as an environmentally responsible company and builds at the airline’s actions and commitment to environmental sustainability.
“We work with hundreds of suppliers so it’s important for us to realize the environmental impact on our supply chain, and this new initiative allows us to be proactive,” said Katrina Manning , United’s vice chairman of technical procurement. “Focusing on our supply chain presents us with a chance to make responsible decisions to further strengthen our commitment to the surroundings.”
The SSC program involves measuring and evaluating the sustainability of United’s current suppliers’ products and operations through a comprehensive survey, starting with those suppliers in traditionally high-risk industries in addition to members of the airline’s strategic supplier community. United also will integrate the environmentally focused questions into its request for proposal (RFP) process. Through implementation of the SSC program, United will evaluate whether the usage of its suppliers’ product or services would scale back the airline’s impact at the environment.
“We are pleased to launch this program that demonstrates our commitment to working with key supply chain partners on environmental issues,” said Jimmy Samartzis , United’s managing director of worldwide environmental affairs and sustainability. “We won’t only incorporate environmental considerations into our buying decisions, but may even seek to spot opportunities to collaborate with our suppliers to enhance the environmental profile of the goods and services we use.”
In 2014, United will seek to determine targets for improvement and start to speak those expectations to its suppliers.
The SSC initiative is aligned with the airline’s participation within the United Nations Global Compact, which inspires its signatories to advertise environmental practices throughout their supply chain. United was the primary U.S. airline to sign up for the worldwide Compact.