The document discusses sustainable supply chains and the challenges that businesses face in achieving fully sustainable supply chains. It notes that a sustainable supply chain would safeguard the environment and human rights, follow international standards, engage suppliers on social and environmental issues, and have a net positive impact. However, no company yet has a fully sustainable supply chain, as most impacts occur lower in tiers of suppliers. Working to address issues in lower tiers can be difficult and expensive. Traceability, transparency, and government action to create a level playing field for companies are seen as important steps, but full sustainability may not be achievable by targeted dates of 2020, 2025 or 2030.

1. Business and Sustainable Supply Chains
Toby Webb, founder, Innovation Forum
www.innovation-forum.co.uk
Kings College London Lecture, 12/03/18

6. https://youtu.be/CP-TcDtSFDI

7. So what WOULD be a sustainable supply chain?
One where:
• Care is taken to safeguard the environment and human rights as much as possible
• International principles, standards and best practices are followed
• A business (usually large) engages its suppliers in social and environmental care
• Where past damage (from peatlands to slavery) is approached in a restorative way
• Where the overall contribution of the company is Net Positive to society and the environment
BUT
• No-one has a sustainable supply chain yet, either social or environmental
• Most of the impacts are below Tier 1
• Working in Tier 2 and below can be harder and more expensive than most companies are prepared to do
• We’re still finding unforeseen impacts which are hugely significant: Ocean plastics as one example
By 2020, or by 2025 or 2030, it’s unlikely ANYONE will have a completely sustainable supply chain
So why bother?

14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Southeast_Asian_haze

20. https://trase.earth/?lang

23. https://www.nestle.com/csv/communities/responsible-sourcing/hazelnuts

26. https://www.tescoplc.com/media/392433/modern_slavery_act.pdf

30. http://sustainablesmartbusiness.com/2018/01/1000-days-to-go-the-six-most-difficult-questions-for-consumer-brands-around-zero-deforestation-palm-oil-by-2020/

32. Conclusions
• No supply chain is yet sustainable, as far as we know
• Many of the issues in supply chains are due to poor legal enforcement
and criminality
• SOME Companies are struggling to tackle this, and are working
together and with NGOs to try and have cleaner supply chains
• Traceability and transparency are key, naming suppliers, mapping
impacts
• Government engagement on creating a level playing field for all
companies is one of THE key issues

33. Thank you for listening!
Toby Webb, founder, Innovation Forum
www.innovation-forum.co.uk
www.sustainablesmartbusiness.com