The building industry is rapidly developing new technology to manage emissions and improve energy efficiency and water management, while also lowering operating expenses.

The typical procurement organization invests heavily in supplier compliance but rarely reaps the value rewards. Compliance can often feel like a revolving door, with procurement teams evaluating the same risks and under-performing suppliers over and over again and never identifying the root causes or making real progress toward sustainability. Eventually, after a multi-year investment into a responsible sourcing program, procurement finds itself past the point of diminishing returns.

From coal to cars to coffee, consumption levels are breaking records, and the acceleration of resource depletion, pollution and climate change may come with underappreciated social and environmental costs, according to the Worldwatch Institute.

Alaska Airlines says it is on track to save 87 gallons of fuel, shorten flight times by about nine minutes and reduce carbon emissions by nearly 1 metric ton, every time one of its planes land at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport using new, operations-enhancing Federal Aviation Administration procedures designed by Boeing.

Analyst Insight: SCM World's 2014 CSCO Study shows health and safety is the number one sustainability issue for the fourth straight year. With ethical issues and product integrity coming in a close second and third, it is clear that disconnected sustainability efforts have truly evolved into integrated social and environmental responsibility (SER) initiatives. – Matt Davis, SVP Research at SCM World