How SP Provides Value to Its Members

The Suppliers Partnership for the Environment (SP) is first and foremost a collaborative process. While its vision and goals are keenly focused on improving the environmental footprint of the automotive supply chain and its approach sufficiently tested to inspire confidence, the framework under which it should operate is still open for discussion. With a focus on the supply chain, this operational framework must be structured enough to provide legal protections for participating companies while flexible enough to meet an array of supplier needs. NOTE: Cost savings realized through SP activities and workshops will remain with the participating supplier.

SP provides value to its members in a number of ways, including:

• Providing a forum for cross-sector companies to work together on work groups and task forces.


• Making available to members various environmental tools, best practices, and lessons learned that the OEMs and Tier I suppliers have successfully used, including SP's "Members Only" section that provides access to Federal-Mogul Corporation's and Lear Corporation's "toolkits" to achieve ISO 14001 environmental management system (EMS) certifications.


• Leveraging resources to provide technical assistance that recognizes the need to convey environmental management information and technical assistance to sub-tier suppliers. Utilizing a unique partnership with EPA and the NIST MEP, SP can assist companies to target sub-tier suppliers and drive environmental improvements through their supply chain without having to commit extensive amounts of their own time and resources. Two examples of opportunities to retain cost savings realized through SP activities include:

  • During the BAE Industries SP NIST MEP Technical Assistance Workshop, a cost savings of $323,487 was identified, with a one-time conversion to cash at $446,880.
  • Through the Saturn pilot project, cost saving opportunities were identified in the range of $374,000 to $464,000 collectively from the four Tier I workshops. Extrapolated across the entire GM Tier I supply chain, the estimated potential economic value of the work done to date is between $390 million to $520 million.


• Making available the services of NIST MEP to educate Tier I trainers on environmental management tools that can then be used within their own facilities. Members can also target direct sub-tier suppliers to receive technical assistance from the NIST MEP centers and these facilities will receive priority attention.


• Providing an opportunity to work with other members to identify externally driven environmental impacts. For example, during the Saturn pilot project, 11 of the 16 opportunities identified in Tier I companies were externally driven (GM or Saturn customer requirements). GM and other OEM members are committed to working with their suppliers to identify and address similar Tier I supplier issues.


• Providing an opportunity to connect with other suppliers on environmental issues. Many Tier I suppliers supply other OEMs and each other. The unique forum offered by SP will allow suppliers to network with each other while developing a closer relationship with OEMs.