How Amazon and Unilever Uphold Sustainable Supply Chains

As consumer behaviour evolves, major companies are restructuring their supply chains to meet sustainable expectations.

Deloitte’s 2024 Sustainable Consumer survey highlights that consumer purchasing is now affected by sustainability, with consumers more likely to buy from companies which practice responsible sourcing.

More than two-thirds (68%) of UK consumers are actively reducing food waste, sending a clear message to the market: brands are expected to reduce waste and uphold sustainable practices. 

Emily Cromwell, Climate Change and Sustainability Lead at Deloitte, says: “The surge in consumers opting for refurbished goods and repair services is already having a significant impact on the sector, forcing businesses to innovate, creating new models that prioritise sustainability and resource efficiency. 

“Businesses who unlock value this way will also respond to growing interest from the market.”

Meeting sustainability benchmarks

Retailers and suppliers are adjusting upstream and downstream processes to meet these priorities. 

Amazon is one example, integrating sustainability certification directly into its product visibility strategy. Its “Climate Pledge Friendly” programme helps customers identify products meeting specific environmental standards.

For supply chain teams, this means retooling procurement strategies, emissions reporting and product design to align with Amazon’s ClimatePartner certification process.

Products under this label are given greater visibility across the platform and Amazon reports a 12% average sales uplift for qualifying products in the first year. 

This links directly to sourcing decisions, vendor partnerships and packaging design — areas all within the domain of the supply chain.

Andy Jassy, President and CEO at Amazon, underlines the business case: “The effects of climate change are becoming more and more apparent in our surroundings and daily lives and we firmly believe that the private sector must continue to innovate and collaborate across regions and industries in order to decarbonise the global economy at scale.

“It’s an encouraging sign that more than 300 businesses have now signed The Climate Pledge, which commits them to confronting climate change head-on by incorporating real business changes that will make a lasting impact on our planet. We can only do it together.”

The project lifecycle

The 100% Group, a sustainability consultancy, argues that sustainability must begin at the earliest stages of the supply chain — including product development and supplier selection.

The organisation urges businesses to take a long-term approach to sourcing, ensuring that environmental performance is factored in before any physical materials are moved.

Their guidance encourages firms to tackle emissions not just within their own operations, but across their value chain, working with policy makers and industry groups. 

Their Signatory Handbook includes this instruction: “Take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain, including engagement with stakeholders such as policymakers and other actors to address the sectoral barriers to transition.

“This should be consistent with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global average temperature increase to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, aiming for 1.5°C. Notably, this implies the need to move towards net zero emissions by 2050 or sooner.”

This approach places responsibility on logistics partners, packaging suppliers and manufacturers to deliver more than cost or speed — sustainability credentials are now core procurement criteria.

Unilever and low-carbon practice

For Unilever, which serves 3.4 billion people every day through brands like Hellmann’s, Dove and Ben & Jerry’s, sustainability is not a separate strategy — it is embedded within performance delivery.

The company has worked towards environmental goals for more than 20 years and is now aligning its entire operational model with net zero ambitions.

This involves optimising logistics, sourcing responsibly, reducing waste during manufacturing and applying ethical standards through its entire value chain.

Through incorporating sustainability goals into procurement and production frameworks, Unilever is managing to meet both commercial targets and environmental benchmarks.

This dual commitment has become central to its ability to stay competitive and relevant to customers, regulators and partners alike.

As consumer demands tighten, the brands that succeed will be those whose supply chains can match both the scale and the environmental integrity required.