Author(s): Shankha Sengupta, Sandeep A and Venkata Siva Gabbita
This paper explores the concept of Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM) as a response to the urgent need for environmental and social sustainability within supply chain operations. The traditional focus on economic performance metrics has shifted towards a triple-bottom-line approach, incorporating environmental quality, social justice, and economic prosperity. Key elements of SSCM include waste and emission reduction, resource efficiency, ethical labor practices, and circular economy models. Despite significant implementation challenges, SSCM offers opportunities for value creation through improved reputation, operational efficiency gains, and innovation in sustainable products and technologies. The paper also presents a generalized framework for developing a mathematical model to optimize sustainable retail supply chains, considering objectives, decision variables, constraints, and sustainability metrics.