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Tech giant Apple has come a long way on conflict minerals. In 2010, they were one of the worst consumer electronics companies in their response to this serious problem, and Enough Project, Campus Progress, and A Thousand Sisters protested the opening of their store in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. But Apple has started to turn the corner on conflict minerals with some substantial steps. No comment yet.
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Gary Waylett, CEO, Eclipse Group, outlines the role of excellent procurement practices not only to ensure adherence to sustainable procurement practices but also to deliver transparency
EcoVadis's insight:
This reflexion from Gary Waylett builds the case for the adoption of a sustainable procurement strategy. Shifting to green management practices in the supply chain proves to be an acid test to assess the robustness and transparency of existing processes in place. It is a driver for employee motivation, brand positioning ...
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Facing criticism for selling garments made at a Bangladesh factory where 112 workers died in a fire last November, Wal-Mart Stores told its worldwide suppliers Tuesday that it was adopting tougher rules on fire safety at its contractors and would have “zero tolerance” for suppliers that used unauthorized subcontractors.
EcoVadis's insight:
As shown from this New York Times article, Walmart has subsequently thoughen its ethical sourcing standards after the November 2012 tragedy at Tazreen factory.
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Note: this is the final part of three-part series exploring “materiality” and the intersection of supply chain management, sustainability and corporate social responsibility.
EcoVadis's insight:
Excellent post series and insight from Dave Meyer.
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"[Going] green has become a critical necessity for multi-national corporations with hundreds of billions of dollars hanging in the balance. At this scale, greening operations is all about supply chain. Where things are sourced, where they go, and how they get there — all of these questions come into play, and more often than not need to be rethought entirely. Exactly how big and global is this trend?"
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The attitude of many companies is changing when it comes to prioritizing “green” initiatives and focusing attention on sustainability in the supply chain.
EcoVadis's insight:
This article shows how sourcing materials responsibly for packaging can actually help cut costs.
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The European Parliament internal market committee has approved procurement reforms to ensure public authorities award contracts on the basis of the most advantageous economic, social and environmental criteria.
EcoVadis's insight:
glad to see that EU is making good steps towards integration of CSR criteria in procurement decisions. How long will it take to this tranlated into national laws? 
Mercor's curator insight,
January 10, 2013 6:46 AM
Rescooped by Ricard Lloria from Sustainable Procurement ontoSupply chain News and trends
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According to a new report from analyst firm Verdantix, some electronics companies headquartered in Asia take greater strides to report the environmental achievements in their supply chains than others.
EcoVadis's insight:
Supply chain transparency in reporting is on the rise, but still challenging and undefined for many companies. Electronics companies which oftern outsource large percentage of their production should absolutely be the front runners, but apparently they are not all on board.
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After the hardships of workers in China’s electronics factories were exposed to a global audience, working conditions have changed.
EcoVadis's insight:
Labor reforms in China....
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Levi's has become the latest brand leader to pledge to eliminate all releases of hazardous chemicals throughout its supply chain and products by 2020, following pressure from Greenpeace.
EcoVadis's insight:
With such major brands such as Levis now into the loop, it is expected that the Apparel Sector will be compelled to increase its scrutiny over supply chain management, while taking into account environmental impacts.
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The Strategic Sourceror: Labor unrest can disrupt entire supply chains, procurement, strategic sourcing, cost reduction and supply chain news by the Strategic Sourceror
EcoVadis's insight:
Offshoring to attractive overseas locations can have financial benefits but can also have costs, linked to social disruption and lack of monitoring capabilities in the supply chain, as the article shows it.
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The European Union (EU) will begin discussions on whether to develop a conflict minerals-type regulation during a December 5, 2012 internal workshop. DG Trade is leading this effort and has request input from industry, academia, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)....
EcoVadis's insight:
As a ripple effect of the Conflict Minerals Act of 2009 passed in the U.S., possible regulations are likely to have significant impacts for European companies in terms of supply chain disclosure and accountability, due-diligence mechanisms.
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More companies are aggressively pursuing sustainability in their supply chains, according to Bruce Tompkins, the executive director of the Supply Chain Consortium.
EcoVadis's insight:
“Companies want to shape the future of sustainability,” Tompkins said recently in a podcast on the topic, “and it’s easier to stay ahead of the game than trying to catch up to regulations," says Bruce Tompkins, the executive director of the Supply Chain Consortium |
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Green procurement ideas inspire Thai businesses The Nation Demand for green products is on the rise, making it essential for Thai business operators to adopt green procurement practices into their operations.
EcoVadis's insight:
Interesting to see how business federations, global associations can move the sustainable procurement agenda forward, as shown from the Thai local branch of the WBCSD.
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WWF and H&M have entered into a three-year partnership to develop a global water strategy that will be implemented across the fashion retailer’s 48 national markets and 750 direct suppliers.
EcoVadis's insight:
This partnership on water management also shows pervasive engagement and collaboration within the supply chain is a sine qua non condition for the successful roll out of a global CSR strategy ....
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"Apple found 11 facilities across its supply chain using child labour last year, the iPhone maker said in its annual “Supplier Responsibility” report. The California-based company…said it had uncovered 106 “active cases” of children being employed by its suppliers over the course of 2012…None of those individuals is still employed by the suppliers, after Apple worked with its partners to help them spot fake identification documents or falsified records."
EcoVadis's insight:
Since Apple joined the Fair Labor Association in January 2012, we can praise the company efforts towards more transparent supply chain accomplished so far. 
DrewClark's comment,
February 5, 2013 9:40 PM
Is Apple really going to begin manufacturing in the United States?
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Sustainability leaders from GlaxoSmithKline, Tesco, B&Q and HSBC identify 9 steps towards a more sustainable supply chain.
EcoVadis's insight:
Excellent series of posts and discussions around Sustainable Procurement by Conrad Young.
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Companies today are reaching beyond their operational footprint into their supply chains for additional opportunities to manage risk, find efficiencies and protect reputation. Sustainable supply chain issues now extend well beyond the original focus on human rights and labor issues of the last decade, spanning topics as diverse as business continuity, ecosystem preservation, anti-corruption, materials traceability and product stewardship.
EcoVadis's insight:
This post from Karen Lutz, recaps the major 2012 trends and milestones in terms of sustainable procurement from ISO, the Global Compact, the DJSI, the GRI, to the CDP and other regulatory developments. As the author states, all those initiatives are linked together in promoting supply chain transparency and due diligence requirements.
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Come January 2, 2013, the European Union will replace its original RoHS law with a new recast version known as RoHS 2. This new version will expand coverage to all electrical and electronic equipment, require special marking of finished goods and more compliance documentation, and increase penalties for non-compliance.
EcoVadis's insight:
This article from EBN summarizes the main changes under RoHS 2 and how the Directive will impact product declarations with CE marks, and increasingly cover other sectors.
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72% of US companies say sustainability influences their purchasing decisions and is an important factor when selecting a service provider
EcoVadis's insight:
Sustainable purchasing is gaining momentum, including in the United States, often behind on sustainability issues when compared with Europe.
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International efforts are bearing fruit. New laws have raised the cost of wrongdoing. Financial markets are punishing corrupt companies. Most encouraging, activists have growing clout not only in high-profile cases but at grassroots level, where the internet helps to highlight instances of “quiet” (low-level) corruption.
EcoVadis's insight:
The politics of corruption. Global anti-corruption efforts are growing in scope and clout.
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'From Triangle to Tazreen: A Century of Lessons' blog post by Francesca Rheannon.
EcoVadis's insight:
This interesting analysis from CSR Wire about the Tazreen tragedy highlights the failed control system and lack of supply chain monitoring (Walmart was not aware Tazreen was among its supplier base), combined with financial imperative (increased orders at year end) among the main causes that account for the tragic incidents.
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Greenpeace International's investigation reveals dumping of industrial wastewater with a wide range of hazardous substances in two of China's most important textile manufacturing zones.
EcoVadis's insight:
The Textile sector has been the target of recent campaigns from the Third Sector to efficiently clean up and manage hazardous chemicals along the supply chain.
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The World Gold Council has developed the Conflict-Free Gold Standard, an industry-led approach to combat the potential misuse of mined gold to fund armed conflict...
EcoVadis's insight:
Starting January 1, 2013, participating companies will required to publicly report against the standard via a Conflict-Free Gold Report, published in annual reports or on their websites.
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Le 12 décembre 2012 – Le Baromètre de l’approvisionnement responsable – édition Québec 2012 a été lancé hier par l’Espace québécois de concertation sur les pratiques
EcoVadis's insight:
Bravo to the new "Sustainable Procurement Benchmark" published by our Quebec friends, leveraging our HEC/EcoVadis data/methodology |
Apple recently joined the Public Private Alliance on Responsible Minerals Trade. With such large players entering the game, conflict minerals due diligence is gaining momentum. Of particular interest is Apple's transparency effort and policy to require its supplier to source from certified smelters. Ongoing monitoring is recommended!