A performance model for driving environmental improvement down the supply chain

Leading companies recognize that they cannot be completely proactive in their environmental performance unless they manage the environmental performance of their component suppliers. Supply chain management and environmental management offer considerable potential for strategic advantage and cost containment. However, assessing the environmental performance of supply chain environmental management requires simple and effective audit tools. Although supply chain audits have been implemented by some multinational firms, the effectiveness of these programs has not been assessed. This paper describes the benefits and challenges of environmental assessments of supply chains.