How Lockheed Martin is Boosting Supply Chain Sustainability
Lockheed Martin aims to integrate environmental stewardship, social responsibility and effective governance into its supply chain practices.
"As a leader in aerospace and defence, Lockheed Martin believes that sustainability and mitigating supply chain risk go hand-in-hand," explains Abby Lilly, who was recently appointed as Chief Supply Chain Officer at Lockheed Martin.
"That's why we're dedicated to building a supply chain that is not only resilient, but responsible and equipped to meet the evolving needs of our customers and stakeholders."
Empowering future generations
Lockheed Martin's Supply Chain Intern programme is designed to provide university students with practical experience in tackling actual sustainability challenges.
Each intern project aligns with business goals under the guidance of expert teams within the company.
In 2023, the programme saw 16 interns delve into four key challenge areas and their innovative solutions presented to supply chain leadership and extended stakeholders.
The International Aerospace Environmental Group (IAEG) sponsored a challenge aimed at reinforcing industry-wide collaboration.
This initiative sought to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in enhancing their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices.
The interns developed a model facilitating IAEG's engagement with industry bodies to increase SMEs' access to essential sustainability resources.
The findings were showcased at the IAEG conference in London, receiving positive responses.
In response to its success, Lockheed Martin aims to continue this trajectory by arranging virtual events that further integrate SMEs into significant sustainability dialogues.
One participant reflected on the experience: "Having the opportunity to impact the decisions of an industry-wide group was incredibly insightful and gave me the best understanding of how important each of the ESG principles are to aerospace companies."
Sustainability assessments in aerospace
Lockheed Martin, along with nine other major aerospace entities including Airbus and Boeing, embraced the IAEG Sustainability Assessments powered by EcoVadis.
This collaborative effort aims to quicken sustainability integration across the aerospace sector by adopting a unified evaluation framework used across participating companies and their suppliers
This strategy not only streamlines the assessment process but significantly cuts down on redundant evaluations, thereby fostering a deeper, industry-wide insight into sustainability practices.
The initiative specifically targets improvements in areas like Scope 3 emissions and human rights due diligence.
Suppliers benefit from this arrangement by undertaking a singular, comprehensive assessment instead of multiple evaluations.
Lockheed Martin facilitated this transition by hosting webinars tailored for suppliers, enlightening them about the assessment process and its benefits.
This first year saw the production of nearly 1,000 supplier scorecards, which play a crucial role in measuring and advancing sustainability performance across the board.
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