The COVID-19 pandemic drew attention to how central supply chains are to the global economy. It also exposed the human rights abuses that can occur up and down supply chains before goods arrive in our hands.

By contrast, the environmental impacts of supply chains and the disproportionate burdens they place on the world’s most vulnerable people have been overshadowed in public debate.

Some observers assert these impacts rise to the level of environmental injustice – situations in which supply chains actively harm people, communities and the environment. They argue that the companies managing supply chains should be held responsible for reversing these effects.

When supply chains move beyond traditional markers of performance — efficiency, flexibility and responsiveness — to consider the benefits and harms of their activities, they can become environmentally just. Such supply chains distribute environmental benefits (such as clean air, water or access to land) more fairly while ensuring all stakeholders are included in decision-making.

In our recent research study, my colleagues and I argue that environmental justice should be treated as a core concept of sustainable supply chain management. We identify three pathways that offer practical entry points for businesses and other organizations seeking to address environmental injustice within supply chains.

Expanding due diligence

The first pathway involves incorporating environmental justice into human rights due diligence, the process businesses use to identify and address harms. Due diligence includes identifying........

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