As environmental responsibility becomes a shared priority across the supply chain, the need for unified, actionable steps towards sustainability has never been greater

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared in Dealer Support

For dealers, suppliers and businesses alike, many of the core environmental objectives, particularly those driven by government initiatives, are aligned. But to turn shared goals into real progress, the industry must move forward together.

So, what new initiatives or changes should we be aiming for in 2025 to encourage a collective, effective shift toward more sustainable practices?

Common Themes and Conversations

Amy Hutchinson, CEO, BOSS explained: “An area that comes up continuously in conversation at our BOSS Environmental Forum, which is attended by companies from the whole supply chain, is sustainability and environmental data. Specifically, the challenges resellers face in providing this data, which they are under increasing pressure to do, to their customers.”

Benchmarking and Standardising

One of the key enablers for progress lies in the creation and adoption of standardised benchmarking and data sets. Without consistent environmental data from vendors, it’s difficult for resellers and other businesses to track performance, report accurately, or make informed decisions. Establishing reliable, industry-wide benchmarks helps create a level playing field – allowing companies to measure their sustainability efforts, identify areas for improvement and demonstrate progress to stakeholders. It also makes it easier for buyers to compare products and make environmentally conscious purchasing decisions, strengthening the entire industry’s commitment to sustainability.

Amy added: “The Forum has worked to establish a set of relatively simple Sustainability and Environmental fields that are included in both key industry Product Data Files, Evo and Fusion however these fields continue to not be populated by some vendors. If as an industry we could encourage the prioritisation of this data, it would simplify the identification and choice of environmentally friendly products by consumers and drive the selection of sustainable products through the industry’s supply chain.”

Want to know what other industry leaders had to say on the subject? Read the full article here