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Latest news, trends, ideas on Sustainable Procurement and Green Supply Chain
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PricewaterhouseCoopers says a conflict minerals compliance program can help optimize electronics supply chains and enhance company brands.
EcoVadis's insight:
EcoVadis agrees that companies that elect to go conflict free can turn that status into a competitive advantage. Delete the scoop?
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On 23 April 2013 the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) released a report called "Responsibility Outsourced". AFL-CIO says that this report "digs underneath the façade of social auditing and certification schemes to reveal a deeply disturbing abdication of responsibilities on the part of both governments to protect human rights at the workplace and of companies to respect these rights by exercising due diligence regarding the impact of their business activities and their business relationships." Delete the scoop?
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More than 50 sustainable, socially responsible, and faith-based investment groups representing $458.67 billion in assets under management released a statement today expressing their support for the SEC’s final rule for Conflict Mineral Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
EcoVadis's insight:
Last October, U.S. business group led by the National Association of Manufacturers launched a lawsuit against the S.E.C. complaining the conflict mineral law is costly to administer and ineffective. This week, investors managing $458.67 billion worth in assets responded to the lawsuit. Delete the scoop?
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Retailers and clothing manufacturers have agreed to sign up to the Bangladesh Fire and Safety Act, which it is hoped will improve conditions for workers in the country's garment and textile factories.
EcoVadis's insight:
Will such public private collaborations such as the Bangladesh Fire and Safety Act, a legally-binding agreement, eventually be a first step towards better and safer working conditions in global supply chains? 
EcoVadis's comment,
May 31, 12:27 AM
Too bad Walmart chose to act on its own on this. Isn't collaboration a win win situation to solve such complex issues?
Amelia's comment,
May 31, 6:48 AM
Yes, it is bad, some of fashion retailers also chose not to sign. I think they believe that their own way will be much more effective than signing that pact..
EcoVadis's comment,
June 1, 8:33 PM
Indeed.... Meanwhile, we know that collaboration decreases costs (e.g. shared audit) and can be very effective (e.g. Joint Audit Cooperation in the telco industry, or EcoVadis-led Together for Sustainability (TfS) initiative)...
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General Mills, Inc. is focused on increasing the sustainability of 10 priority agricultural raw materials that represent more than 50% of the Minneapolis-based company’s annual purchases. Delete the scoop?
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In a recent issue of ISM's Inside Supply Management, Jonathan Newton, global lead - supply chain sustainability for Ford Motor Company, shared some insights into the way Ford is engaging suppliers generally and specifically in terms of sustainability.
EcoVadis's insight:
This article from Supply Chain Digest details Ford's supply chain engagement measures at tier 1 level. This includes capacity building, a formalized engagement program and industry collaboration. It would be interesting to know further which specific mechanisms the company has in place to assess its suppliers, how many audits are carried out, what is Ford's global CSR risk management approach... Delete the scoop?
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French rail company SNCF spends more than $16 billion annually buying trains, energy and equipment.
EcoVadis's insight:
Glad to see our longtime customer SNCF (French Railways) and Olivier Menuet featured in this Washington Post article Delete the scoop?
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The HP Everyday Paper line in North America is now certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which makes the company one of the region’s first major office paper providers to offer a complete portfolio of paper that is entirely FSC...
EcoVadis's insight:
An interesting move from HP in line with its global sustainable purchasing commitment. Delete the scoop?
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Unilever's chief procurement officer Marc Engel has promised to be "relentless" in driving the company's efforts to reach its goal of sourcing 100% of raw materials sustainably by 2020. Delete the scoop?
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As discussed in a previous post, the SEC's final Conflict Minerals rule, adopted in August 2012 to implement Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act, has a number of undefined terms and ambiguous provisions that require difficult interpretations of the rule's applicability. One example is whether the critical term "product" includes packaging.
EcoVadis's insight:
The Conflict Minerals rule still contains some shadow areas and further guidance is needed to cope with this highly complex issue. When? Delete the scoop?
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HP published a list of the 195 smelters that have been identified within its supply chain. This move underscores HP’s leadership toward achieving a conflict-free supply chain by encouraging suppliers to become conflict-free smelter (CFS) certified and urging the entire industry to move toward greater utilization of conflict-free smelters and refiners.
EcoVadis's insight:
Some outstanding transparency efforts from a major OEM towards increased supply chain disclosure.... Delete the scoop?
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EcoVadis's insight:
This article from Sustainable Plant offers a comprehensive view on practices that help mitigate complex CSR risk in the supply chain. Delete the scoop?
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Here's a novel use of corporate reporting to gain insight into key suppliers' management systems.
EcoVadis's insight:
CSR is gaining momentum as companies embrace the existing , roubust standards that have been in place for some time, such as Global Reportining Initiative. Delete the scoop?
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BERLIN — German sports gear maker Adidas said Monday it is encouraging workers in factories of some of its Asian suppliers to anonymously share possible grievances directly with the company via text message. Delete the scoop?
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After announcing it will not join an industry-wide accord on factory safety in Bangladesh, the world's biggest retailer announced its own safety initiatives - and a list of factories banned from its supply chain...
EcoVadis's insight:
After H&M first move to disclose its factory list, following the Tazreen incident, Walmart is now releasing the list of factories it considered as unsafe and makes it available for all stakeholders. 
Norm Miller's curator insight,
May 31, 10:27 AM
Large firms can have a major impact by filtering the supply chain from which they purchase.
EcoVadis's comment,
June 1, 8:27 PM
Our experience at EcoVadis, shows that yes, it is possible to have such impact. However, our general approach would rather focus on prior engagement (not blacklisting). For example, we offer our clients to set Corrective Action Plans with their suppliers. This said, regarding the Rana Plaza incident, yes, filtering and disengagement should have remained a priority.
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Although H&M has been leading the way in fashion sustainability, the recent Bangladesh disaster and safety accord shows it still could do better.
EcoVadis's insight:
“We could spend 50 years lobbying 75 national governments to change the regulatory framework for the way these commodities are grown and produced. Or these [business ] folks could make a decision that they’re not going to purchase anything that isn’t grown or produced in a certain way – and the whole global supply chain changes overnight,” - CEO WWF Delete the scoop?
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Tackling carbon and investment in alternative energy has helped Verizon's quest for sustainability. But there's no silver bullet, finds Felicity Carus Delete the scoop?
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At the National Confectioners Association’s Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago today, Nestlé USA announced that it will source 100% certified, Nestlé Cocoa Plan cocoa beans for the entire line of Nestlé Crunch bars. Delete the scoop?
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Over 5000 children’s products contain toxic chemicals linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and reproductive problems, according to reports filed with the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology).
EcoVadis's insight:
This reports from the Washington Toxics Coalition is an example of increased public scrutinity over product transparency and chemicals traceability. Delete the scoop?
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Bangladesh Tragedy Reinforces Need for Corporate Action to Ensure Health and Safety in Supply Chains
Today, on International Workers’ Day, an international celebration of the labour movement, the UN Global Compact is urging companies to step up efforts and engage in the fight to improve occupational health and safety standards.
EcoVadis's insight:
An interesting move from the United Global Compact to focus on down-to-earth CSR issues and advocate for the adoption of better health safety standards in the supply chain. This is a little reactive after major incidents such as the one at the Tazreen factory fire and Rana Plaza factory collapse that led to a 800+ death toll (not 400 as mentioned), but welcome. Delete the scoop?
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McDonald's USA, McDonald's Canada, And Their Franchisees to invest Over $6.5M In Agricultural Technical Assistance Program
EcoVadis's insight:
Certified coffee sourcing has become mainstream as shown by the Rainforest Alliance (http://rainforest-alliance.org/newsroom/news/sustainable-coffee-grows), but what about other food raw materials?
EcoVadis's comment,
April 26, 1:01 PM
Certified coffee sourcing has become mainstream as shown by the Rainforest Alliance (http://rainforest-alliance.org/newsroom/news/sustainable-coffee-grows), but what about other food raw materials?
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In the aftermath of the horsemeat scandal, what can companies do to manage supply chains and put sustainability at the heart of sourcing, asks Katharine Earley
EcoVadis's insight:
Collaboration, communication, engagement, capacity building and dialogue, here are some ingredients that are part of a successfull CSR strategy towards the supply chain. Delete the scoop?
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Mobile device giant Samsung has admitted to using tin sourced from a controversial mining operation on the Indonesian island of Bangka, where unregulated mining kills 150 miners a year and causes substantial environmental damage, reports The Guardian and Mongabay-Indonesia....
EcoVadis's insight:
With ever increasing scrutiny of supply chain from NGOs, third sector and advocacy organizations, it is now crucial for large corporations to proactively develop CSR risks management strategy in worldwide supply chains. Delete the scoop?
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Levi Straus and Co. has used the trend toward sustainability and listening to the voice of its workers to improve supply chain management, according to GreenBiz.com. Levi's new approach involves improving worker well-being by ensuring they have opportunities for economic empowerment, good health, family security, equality, access to education and a safe working environment.
EcoVadis's insight:
News about Levi Strauss & Co.'s recent move towards supplier capacity building and engagement. 
Tim Kitchin's curator insight,
April 26, 1:23 PM
Good to see economic empowerment figuring in here as we strive for greener GROWTH !
EcoVadis's comment,
April 29, 12:49 AM
Thanks for your comment. Indeed, "greener" growth also implies better social and economic conditions in global supply chains, not only environmental impacts as such. Let's hope for better economic and fair retribution for workers as well!
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Earlier this year EcoVadis attended this BSR workshop on Reshaping Corporate Approaches to Sustainable Sourcing. This article summarized the rssults of conversations between multiple companies - including Disney, Maersk, Novo Nordisk, Pentland, Sanofi, Sodexo, and Tesco - and you cna also download the complete notes from the workshop.