Global Supply Chains

SDG 9 — Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Every time a consumer clicks "buy now" and expects delivery tomorrow, a chain of decisions is set in motion across factories, warehouses, and shipping routes around the world. The rise of e-commerce has made supply chains faster, but also more complex, more wasteful, and harder to govern.

The scale

80–90%

of a company's total carbon footprint comes from its supply chain, not its own operations (WEF / CDP 2025)

$468 billion

estimated value of goods at risk of being linked to modern slavery in G20 countries alone (Walk Free Foundation 2023)

$1.6 trillion

in revenue opportunities lost annually by companies due to supply chain disruptions (Accenture)

What makes it hard

The pressure for rapid delivery drives up carbon emissions significantly compared to standard shipping, while high return rates generate billions of pounds of waste and millions of tons of carbon emissions every year. To keep costs low and prices competitive, companies increasingly manufacture in low-income countries where labor is cheap — often at the cost of safe working conditions, fair wages, and basic worker protections. At the same time, limited visibility into supply chains creates serious operational challenges: without knowing what is happening at each stage, companies struggle with inventory mismanagement, delayed deliveries, and rising costs. Digital technologies offer real opportunities here, from real-time tracking to AI-driven demand forecasting, but adopting them requires investment and organizational change that many companies are slow to make.

Choose your focus

Each dimension of this challenge involves different actors, trade-offs, and opportunities. Pick the one your team wants to dig into, then take it to your worksheet.

Last-mile delivery and emissions

The race for faster shipping is driving up carbon emissions per package, but also opening new opportunities for smarter, greener logistics

Worker conditions in global manufacturing

Behind most consumer goods is a chain of workers, often invisible to the end buyer, facing unsafe conditions, low wages, and limited protections

Returns, waste and overproduction

E-commerce returns, excess inventory, and fast fashion generate billions in losses and environmental damage that most supply chains have no system to address

Supply chain visibility

Only 6% of companies can see their full supply chain. Without that visibility, it is impossible to manage risk, reduce emissions, or verify that suppliers meet basic human rights standards

Back to blog