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72By cascading goals in this way, every function works toward the same overarching sustainability targets but with levers relevant to their role.One company, for example, set a strategic goal to improve its CO₂ footprint. For production teams, this translated into energy-efficiency KPIs; for logistics, it meant optimizing transport routes; and for product development, it involved design for recyclability. Each contribution was different – but all were aligned.Lean also emphasizes harmonized annual cycles for strategic processes such as budgeting, target setting, and reporting. If sustainability milestones are integrated into these cycles, they become part of the same management rhythm as financial and operational goals – rather than an isolated side project.3.Process thinking: Looking across the value streamOne of Lean’s greatest strengths is its process orientation. Instead of looking at functions in isolation, Lean maps value streams across departments to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and improvement opportunities. This perspective is equally powerful for sustainability – and often requires surprisingly little additional effort.Whenever processes are analyzed or redesigned, the same workshops and data collection can easily include a Green perspective. For example: In production processes, a value stream analysis might not only highlight cycle time issues but also reveal energy-intensive steps, excessive scrap, or unnecessary heating and cooling. In procurement processes, Lean analysis can make the end-toend flow more efficient while also uncovering sustainability levers. For instance, supplier selection and order handling can be optimized to reduce unnecessary transport, c o n s o l i d a t e s h i p m e n t s , a n d choose suppliers with stronger environmental and social standards. This way, procurement not only lowers cost and complexity but also drives a more sustainable supply chain. In product development, process reviews can bring to light design c h o i c e s t h at ove rco m p l i cate products or use unnecessary materials – opportunities to design for recyclability or lower carbon footprint.The advantage is clear: when improvement resources are already invested in a Lean project, integrating Green objec tives adds lit tle ex tra workload but creates significantly higher impact. Teams not only optimize costs and quality but also strengthen environmental and social performance.S u p p l i e r i n t e g r a t i o n p l a y s a par ticularly impor tant role. Many companies already extend Lean beyond