Sustainable Procurement News

The global commercial shipping industry could cut down its carbon emissions by 47 million tonnes per year by deploying artificial intelligence for sea navigation, a study by autonomous shipping startup Orca AI showed.

The use of the technology could reduce the need for manoeuvres and route deviation from close encounters with high-risk marine targets such as vessels, buoys and sea mammals by alerting the crew in real time, according to the report.

According to the National Environmental Services Survey 2024, 80 per cent of UK environmental professionals have expressed concerns about the credibility and transparency of carbon credit offsetting schemes. The survey, which gathered data from 1,498 professionals, also found that 67 per cent believe carbon offsetting is not a viable strategy to achieve net-zero emissions.

Entitled “Driving the fairness agenda,” the Annual Report highlights the achievements of the Fairtrade system and its partners in the past year, such as its programs and initiatives that deepen benefits for more than two million farmers and workers from 68 countries around the globe. 

Fairtrade reported on its first strategic priority of shifting the balance of power to farmers and workers, including developing pathways to decent and sustainable livelihoods, building resilience to climate change, reinforcing human and environmental rights, and supporting women and young people as leaders. 

The recent adoption of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) has been highlighted as an important step forward in the effort to introduce legislation requiring business enterprises to adopt measures aimed at preventing impacts to human rights and the environment, including in relation to climate change.

The Hershey Company is looking to expand on its already 100% independently verified cocoa supply chain by establishing full sourcing visibility for its cocoa volume in both the Ivory Coast and Ghana by 2025, according to its latest ESG report published last week. 

Having a well-defined sourcing policy demonstrates a retailer’s commitment to sustainability, while mitigating the risk of the reputational damage associated with unsustainable practices, particularly in the palm oil supply chain.

One of the most effective ways for retailers to ensure the sustainability of their palm oil supply chain is by partnering with organisations like the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

More than 80 retailers worldwide have joined the RSPO since its inception in 2004, with over half headquartered in Europe. Within the region, British, Dutch and German retailers are leading the way.

Starting in April 2024, The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. is using the RubberWay Geo-Mapping risk assessment tool to bolster its sustainable procurement practices. By adopting this technology, Yokohama Rubber aims to enhance the traceability of natural rubber throughout its supply chain, aligning with the recommendations of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures and ensuring compliance with the upcoming EU Deforestation Regulation.

A collaboration between aquaculture technology specialists Ace Aquatec and start-up Tiny Fish aims to advance the Scottish salmon industry’s circular economy by helping the sector gain access to new premium food markets for its smallest fish.

Scottish salmon farms have an approximate monthly survival rate of 97 to 99 percent throughout their lifecycle, with the fish lost each month commonly being composted. However, through their new collaboration, Ace Aquatec and Tiny Fish hope to alter this fate, culling smaller fish and marketing them as a premium food product.

As increasingly tighter rules aim to address environmental concerns, businesses face mounting pressures to meet these new sustainability targets.

This year’s InCosmetics Global trade show housed a dedicated Sustainability Zone to help beauty and personal care companies navigate the ever-changing rules, as they continue their journey to become more sustainable throughout their supply chains.

According to Dr Barbara Olioso from The Green Chemist Consultancy – who was moderating and overseeing the Sustainability Zone – it’s a challenging topic for businesses and more collaboration could very be helpful.

The global forest certification organisation’s Fashion from Sustainable Forests survey was conducted by YouGov among 5,329 adults in the UK, France, Italy and Spain. It found that 74% of consumers surveyed believe it’s important that clothes made from forest-derived fibres (known as MMCF, which stands for man-made cellulosic fibres) are sourced from sustainably managed forests. 

Fibre reprocessor and packaging producer DS Smith has announced that it has replaced more than 1.2 billion pieces of plastic across its global operations, hitting its 2025 target 16 months ahead of schedule.

Prominent fashion brands are partnering on a groundbreaking financing initiative to expedite the decarbonisation of their global supply chains, which are responsible for approximately 99% of the industry’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

The Future Supplier Initiative, facilitated by The Fashion Pact in collaboration with the Apparel Impact Institute, Guidehouse, and DBS Bank, will offer a collective financing model and technical support to assist suppliers in major manufacturing hubs in transitioning to renewable energy and adopting low-carbon technologies.

Sustainability is at the top of the food industry’s agenda. More than one third of food produced goes to waste and this waste accounts for up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The food sector has the potential to drive significant positive change and companies are actively seeking ways to reduce waste and minimize their environmental footprint at every stage of the value chain.

The ongoing climate crisis prompts carbon-intensive sectors to abolish their footprint. The UK plans to cut carbon emissions by 78% by 2035, starting to reach Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050. Industries must follow suit and join the zero-carbon journey. New-age scientific engineering practices are needed to achieve net-zero carbon for manufacturing.

While financing of deforestation has been business-as-usual for decades, there are signs of change. Leading financial institutions are beginning to chart a way forward, while laggards ignore escalating risk at their peril.  

This risk ties back to negative impacts on the ground. When exposed to environmental and social harms in their operations or supply chains, companies can face legal, market, operational, regulatory and reputational risks that threaten financial performance. For financial institutions, having risky companies in their portfolios can translate into negative returns on investments, defaults on loans or losses due to stranded assets.

Microsoft has adopted more than 80 measures to counteract a 29.1 percent increase in its greenhouse gas emissions since 2020, predominantly driven by its new data centers.

The company‘s Scope 1 and 2 emissions — those closely tied to the company’s operations, manufacturing and use of power — have decreased 6.3 percent since the 2020 baseline. However, its Scope 3 output (indirect emissions from customer purchases and other supply chain categories) climbed 30.9 percent in the same period.

Nestlé Purina utilises a variety of fish and seafood items, sourced from around the world and is the first GSSI partner from the petfood industry to join the global partnership network.

A high proportion of the seafood ingredients in Purina’s products are seafood sidestreams - those parts of the fish remaining after fillet removal. Despite this, the company believes that it can further expand its use of responsibly managed and sourced seafood and has set a goal for the ingredients in its products to be 100 percent responsibly sourced by 2030.