SWISSCHAINS – Swiss Sustainable Supply Chain Lab

The project will provide novel insights into where and how Swiss and European supply chains can be made more sustainable. Switzerland and Europe are at the forefront of several key commodities and many global supply chain initiatives. They can thus pave the way towards sustainable supply chains through innovative policy intervention.

Worldwide, the trade flow of food, minerals, and metals is increasing at a rapid pace. As part of this high demand, the social and environmental production impacts are noticeably displaced from the primary consumption regions. The research of SWISSCHAINS on this production pattern addresses the management of global supply chains. While awareness of the nexus rises, solutions to their disproportionate negative externalities are only beginning to emerge. A substantial challenge to achieve environmentally and socially sustainable production is that supply chain interventions need to overcome interacting and self-enforcing impacts. These ecological, societal, and technological complexities so far impede managing the transformations successfully.

Our goal is to deepen academic insights on these connected impacts. Thereby, we will provide practical guidance for policymakers designing sustainable supply chain policies that are effective, feasible, and fair.

The chart below shows a generic closed-loop supply chain with complex actor interactions within and across supply chain levels. The hourglass shape refers to different actor densities across supply chain levels. The outputs of this project, such as suggestions for improved supply chain transparency or policy briefings, can address one or multiple levels of the supply chain. Policy interventions typically occur at all levels but differ depending on specific sectors and products