Pier Luigi Sigismondi, chief supply chain officer of Unilever, enumerates the ways in which the company's supply chain adds value to the business. He also talks about issues of sustainability and supply-chain segmentation.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) has incorporated sustainability into the traditional SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis employed by many businesses.

Frito-Lay plans to put 45 more electric delivery trucks on California roads in the coming months, bringing its fleet of such vehicles in the state to 105 by the end of the year.

FirstCarbon Solutions, a provider of software and consulting services to enhance the environmental sustainability of business, has expanded its partnership with the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). FirstCarbon will score companies' submissions on their greenhouse gas emissions and carbon-management strategies to CDP Supply Chain. The latter works with global companies to measure and understand the impact of climate change across supply chains. An independent, non-profit organization, CDP helps companies and cities to measure, disclose, manage and share information on environmental risk and opportunity.

Lufthansa Cargo reduced CO2 emissions by more than 700 tonnes through the use of lightweight containers in May and June alone. For the first time, more than half of the standard containers utilised for freight and baggage transports were made from light composite materials. By reducing weight, the composite materials lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

Before Jeff Piccolomini joined Henkel Corp. in 1997, he was dubious about corporate efforts to address environmental concerns - a "typical skeptical CFO," as he puts it. A CPA by training and a longtime finance executive, Piccolomini wasn't accustomed to dealing with the kind of green goals that the German-owned personal-care company had set in motion, such as reducing carbon emissions.

The Consumer Goods Forum, an industry association of retailers, manufacturers and service providers, welcomes the announcement by the U.S. government at the Rio Plus 20 Conference to "forge a private-public partnership to support a concerted international effort to reduce deforestation by promoting sustainable supply chains."

For European governments, meeting the European Union's long-term target for greenhouse gas emissions - a reduction of 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050 - will demand bold moves.

Kohl's Department Stores is to install solar panels at roughly 30 additional locations, expanding its existing solar program by nearly 25 percent.

An analysis of 600 U.S. companies finds pockets of leadership on sustainability practices and performances - but overall the group has fallen short of expectations in four measured categories.