This book chapter addresses the concept, framework and process of
sustainable development (SD), the emergence and integrated character of the supply
chain management (SCM) and its further advance to sustainable supply chain
management (SSCM). Special attention is attributed on the synthetic presentation of the
available literature about the “sustainability challenge”, aiming at bridging the concepts
of SD and SSCM for attaining sustainable social, economic and environmental progress.
The main goals of this chapter include the sufficient understanding and knowledge
about the contemporary sustainability issue and the search for ways of transforming
challenges to opportunities through collective initiatives at value supply chain network
level. In addition, it provides useful insights into the criticism of the sustainability issue
and focuses on overcoming misconceptions, conflicting views and conventional
established attitudes to “the road towards sustainability”, that may be helpful to further
future research for strengthening the sustainability performance.
This chapter includes an extensive list of references to help readers for deeper
understanding of the sustainability issue.
Keywords: Sustainability, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Supply Chain
Management, Sustainability Criticism, Collaborations.
