Operations, Meet Sustainability. You Two Should Talk!

Integrating environmental and social imperatives into core business strategy is a fundamental requirement for long-term viability. We analyze the underlying business imperatives that should drive corporate action, characterizing the transition toward sustainability as a strategic necessity for survival in a resource-constrained world. We identify major operational levers through which firms can influence their sustainability trajectories and demonstrate how mathematical modeling can help translate high-level ambitions into concrete choices. By conceptualizing sustainability as a continuous process of redesigning operational systems rather than a static state, we clarify the critical interface where operational reality and sustainability goals must meet. Finally, we identify upcoming trends likely to shape the next phase of research and practice in sustainable operations and supply chains.