Framing a demand network for sustainability

Abstract

The embeddedness of companies in their micro and macro environments, their interconnectedness in supply chains and with their stakeholders, makes it impossible for them to develop sustainable strategies in isolation from other actors, the basic motivation for such systemwide perspectives as those in industrial ecology. At the same time, the boundaries of these systems remain unclear. This paper aims to increase the understanding of the relative importance and the interrelations between different actors regarding corporate sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and industrial ecology. The framework of demand networks is conceptualised and proposed as a tool for identifying relevant actors for developing sustainable corporate strategies.