**5. Conclusions**

The FSC multi-stakeholder approach highlights the practical value of shared goals and principles as the basis for long-term supply network relationships and collaboration. NGO oversight and certification creates transparency and ensures compliance even by actors in the supply network whose commitment to the goals may be weaker. FSC appears to operate most effectively at a sector level rather than just a single supply network: what started as a "bottom-up" approach has developed into a shared position of network "power". Interestingly, whilst aligned goals support a shared vision, the complementarity between the roles of FSC and Carillion in the supply network could ensure the achievement of sustainable outcomes: FSC represents those directly involved in forestry, working to overcome environmental and social issues associated with illegal logging, whilst Carillion could offer the economic driver to deliver change. We argue that this complementarity promotes change towards sustainability but makes alignment with a single unifying SDG unrealistic.

Whilst the SDGs do set "slavery" within the context of wider sustainability goals, they may still be seen as merely rebadging earlier failed agreements: 178 nations are signatories to the ILO Forced Labour Convention of 1930 [77] but this has not eliminated slavery from supply networks. SDGs do not provide a new practical framework for successful delivery of fair labour. Where moves to eliminate modern slavery from the construction sector have been successful, they have exhibited some of the characteristics demonstrated in the FSC Chain of Custody approach; i.e., engagemen<sup>t</sup> with peers and NGOs that expands stakeholder collaboration and the creation of a more transparent corporate approach.

Thus, the difference in effectiveness between the two approaches reviewed in this work shows that, without alignment of principles and goals or shared vision throughout all tiers of the supply network, it is hard to motivate actors in the supply network to engage so that progress in reducing unsustainability is limited. Principles and goals are, however, individual, and vary between cultures, industrial sectors, organisations of different sizes, etc. They develop within an organisation through the complex interaction of information, experience and surrounding behaviours. The potential is

high for divergent and non-complementary behaviours within individual SDGs between different actors in the supply network, resulting from their different values and priorities. Hence, it is possible that the SDGs will struggle to be universally adopted without complementary behaviours within the supply network.

Whilst this research has considered the role of supply networks within the construction sector, we sugges<sup>t</sup> that the scenarios explored will have resonance in other sectors where brand dominance and consumer pressure is limited. The UN Sustainable Development Goals have undoubtedly succeeded in raising awareness amongs<sup>t</sup> a broad range of actors and stakeholders of the issues grouped under the heading of "sustainability", but this research suggests that they may be less successful in providing companies with a practical decision-making framework, especially in the context of complex global supply networks. Much more work is needed to make the Goals operational. The top-down and bottom-up goal-setting approaches examined in this paper reflect two different ways to embed sustainability in an industrial sector. Based on the exploration reported here, we sugges<sup>t</sup> that the bottom-up approach is ultimately more likely to be successful because it promotes alignment of goals and/or principles between the different actors in the supply network, so that all actors can gain benefit from the relationship and have the flexibility to focus on the goals that are most relevant to them. Given the demise of Carillion, after the research reported here, there is no possibility to continue this particular investigation. However, a longitudinal study is really needed to explore and compare the effectiveness of different approaches in embedding more sustainable practices in companies in this and other sectors.

**Acknowledgments:** Carillion plc was and EPSRC is a funder of the University of Surrey Doctoral Practitioner student Erica Russell. The work of Jacquetta Lee is funded by the University of Surrey. Roland Clift's contribution is unfunded.

**Author Contributions:** The paper was jointly conceived by all authors through discussion and written communication. The initial framing of the paper was suggested by Roland Clift and the analysis of different approaches has been drawn from PhD thesis material by Erica Russell based on work within Carillion plc. Jacquetta Lee led the results and observations sections with contributions from all authors.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest. Carillion plc played no role in the design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data. They did read the manuscript prior to submission and noted several factual inaccuracies which were amended.

#### **Appendix A. Semi Structured Orientation Interview Questions**

Note: The original survey included additional prompts for several of the questions based on corporate procedure. Some of these details are confidential and have not been included in this Appendix.

Question to be asked by Interviewer to prompt discussion


**Figure A3.** Upstream and Downstream Supply Network Model.

#### **Appendix B. Sustainable Development Goals Supported by FSC**




## **Table A1.** *Cont.*
