Survey: 77% of manufacturers feel pressure to green supply chain

The movement to "green" industries and improve sources of renewable energy is driving many companies to reduce their environmental impact. A new report states that more than 75 percent of manufacturers feel they are being held accountable for their environmental toll, prompting them to green their supply chains to cut waste.

Consumers are increasingly demanding more information about a company's supply chain and the amount of waste produced through manufacturing and transportation of products, Business News Daily reports. Apple, for example, has come under fire recently for the manufacturing practices of its suppliers in Asia after factory workers assembling the company's iPhone were sickened by noxious fumes.

IFS conducted a survey and asked manufacturers whether they feel consumers are pressuring them to streamline their supply chains to eliminate carbon gas emissions and offset energy use. More than 80 percent of survey respondents affirmed that green supply chains will become more important over the next three years.

Nonetheless, many of the manufacturers surveyed - nearly 200 executives from manufacturing operations with revenue of $100 million or more - said IT infrastructure was failing to keep up with the changing needs of a green supply chain.