Nearly half (47%) of large enterprises have dedicated sustainability teams to help direct cross-functional strategies
Blue Yonder, the AI company for supply chain, today released the 2026 Supply Chain Compass: Spotlight on Sustainability report, which examines North American and European supply chain leaders' prioritization and perception of sustainability initiatives. Blue Yonder surveyed 678 senior supply chain professionals from large enterprises with annual revenue of more than $500 million. Supply chains are responsible for 60% of global carbon emissions. Against that backdrop, Blue Yonder's data shows sustainability is top of mind for many leaders.
Key takeaways:
- Two-thirds (66%) of leaders are actively working to reduce their supply chain's impact.
- Nearly half (47%) of large enterprises have created dedicated sustainability teams.
- More than half (56%) agree that supply chain operators bear responsibility to help solve problems like inflation and climate change.
- Only one in five supply chain leaders say they are confident in achieving their sustainability objectives.
"Sustainability remains a priority, even in a year marked by immediate business risks like tariffs, disruption and inflation," said Saskia van Gendt, chief sustainability officer, Blue Yonder. "Right now, efforts are primarily focused on improving efficiency and productivity and making faster, better decisions, which can translate into less waste, more sustainable operations and cost savings. Sustainability is no longer a discrete objective, but a strategic element of mature, modern business plans."
How leaders are advancing sustainability
Rather than pursuing sustainability as a standalone initiative, many supply chain leaders are advancing sustainability goals through improvements in their operations. More than one-quarter (26%) say data and traceability are the primary actions needed to further sustainability efforts, while 33% identify forecasting technology as a sustainability opportunity.
That shift is also visible in how companies are organizing. Nearly half of respondents (47%) say their companies have created dedicated sustainability teams, even as sustainability, in and of itself, becomes less likely to rank as a high priority. Only 12% of supply chain leaders list sustainability among their top three strategic priorities, down from 24% last year.
In a year when 68% of leaders cite economic challenges like labor and inflation as top concerns, it's understandable that some priorities would shift. Sustainability is now viewed as a shared, cross-functional strategy owned by dedicated teams, operations and logistics.
AI's role in sustainability
Supply chain leaders are much more likely to associate AI with operational gains than with sustainability outcomes. Respondents' top three operational benefits of AI were better planning and predictability (29%), better risk management (26%), and better, faster decision-making (23%). By contrast, only 11% believe AI could deliver sustainability benefits, and just 13% cite enhanced traceability as a key benefit of using AI.
This suggests that many leaders still view AI primarily through an operational lens, even though the capabilities they value most, including improved planning, faster decisions and better risk management, can also support sustainability by reducing waste and improving efficiency across the supply chain. As AI adoption grows, we can expect greater awareness of how operational proficiency translates into sustainability gains.
Leaders say sustainability targets may need to go further
One-quarter (25%) of respondents said that current sustainability targets do not go far enough. Another 25% said the right sustainability initiatives will be disruptive to current processes. This underscores that leaders recognize both the urgency of the challenge and the operational change it can require.
Industry-leading solutions for smarter, sustainable businesses
As the report shows, many organizations are still working to translate sustainability goals into action. That makes better data, better visibility and stronger decision-making tools critical. To help improve reporting accuracy and optimize operational performance through unified, end-to-end insights, Blue Yonder has released several updates to its sustainability solutions:
- Logistics Emission Calculator: Streamlines global logistics sustainability workflows and data collection with GLEC-accredited, audit-ready transportation emissions measurement, facilitating direct data collection from carriers. Integrations with Blue Yonder Transportation Management Solutions and Network enable carbon emissions visibility at the point of decision making and the ability to optimize transportation plans based on carbon emissions.
- Sustainable Supply Chain Manager integration with Demand and Supply Planning (DSP): Embeds carbon emissions and waste metrics directly into scenario planning and optimization, allowing planners to simultaneously optimize service levels and carbon impact. This enables leaders to balance end-to-end supply chain cost and holistic operational performance with sustainability goals.
- Sustainable Supply Chain Manager integration with Allocation and Replenishment: Adds transportation, procurement and waste-related carbon analysis to optimize replenishment plans for end-to-end sustainability impact.
"Pursuing sustainable supply chains means changing processes, which is challenging for every organization," added van Gendt. "Now technology can accelerate change by integrating sustainability into supply chain decision making and optimization while achieving greater adaptability, resilience and staying power in the market."
Read the "2026 Supply Chain Compass: Spotlight on Sustainability" report here
FAQs
- What is the main takeaway from the 2026 Supply Chain Compass Sustainability report?
- Two-thirds (66%) of leaders are actively working to reduce their supply chain's impact. They are pursuing sustainability through efficiency, better decision-making, data and traceability, and dedicated sustainability teams.
- Is the 2026 Supply Chain Compass Sustainability report the same thing as the 2026 Supply Chain Compass report?
- The Sustainability report is a breakout analysis from the broader 2026 Supply Chain Compass Report. It focuses specifically on sustainability, whereas the Supply Chain Compass report covers topics like business resilience, technology adoption and leaders' attitudes toward the future.
- What are supply chain leaders doing to improve sustainability?
- They are pursuing overall efficiency improvements, working to make smarter decisions for their business, appointing dedicated sustainability teams and focusing on data and traceability to support sustainability efforts.
- How does Blue Yonder support sustainability?
- Blue Yonder's sustainability solutions include the Logistics Emission Calculator and Sustainable Supply Chain Manager which help leaders track and improve emissions, integrate sustainability into decision-making and make smarter decisions for the future. These tools were enhanced in 2026 with new and improved features.
Additional Resources:
- Read the "Supply Chain Compass 2026" report here.
- Learn more about Blue Yonder's sustainability solutions here.
- Learn more about Blue Yonder's AI-driven, end-to-end supply chain solutions here.
Methodology:
For the second consecutive year, Blue Yonder partnered with B2B International, an independent market research agency owned by dentsu, to conduct the Supply Chain Compass research. In autumn 2025, Blue Yonder surveyed 678 senior supply chain professionals at companies with more than $500 million in annual revenue, representing retail, manufacturing and logistics industries across North America and Europe. The research examined the behaviors and attitudes of respondents regarding strategic priorities, disruptions, technology, artificial intelligence, sustainability and business confidence. This report focuses on the relevant sustainability responses.
About Blue Yonder
Blue Yonder is the AI company for supply chain. As the world leader in end-to-end digital supply chain transformation, Blue Yonder offers a unified, AI-driven platform and multi-tier network that empowers businesses to operate sustainably, scale profitably, and delight their customers-all at machine speed. A pioneer in applying AI solutions to the most complicated supply chain challenges, Blue Yonder's modern innovations and unmatched industry expertise help more than 3,000 retailers, manufacturers, and logistics service providers confidently navigate supply chain complexity and disruption. blueyonder.com
"Blue Yonder" is a trademark or registered trademark of Blue Yonder Group, Inc. Any trade, product or service name referenced in this document using the name "Blue Yonder" is a trademark and/or property of Blue Yonder Group, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of the companies with which they are associated.
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