DEFINITION: An unbroken and documented chain of ownership all the way from the supplier to the end user.
See also: Supply chain
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Continue to contentDEFINITION: An unbroken and documented chain of ownership all the way from the supplier to the end user.
See also: Supply chain
Speakers from Kering, Unilever and the Woodland Trust have been confirmed to discuss the role of biodiversity in shaping and assisting sustainability strategies on a webinar taking place on Wednesday 21 April.
Food and beverage giants Mars, PepsiCo and McCormick have teamed up to launch a new coalition aimed at encouraging suppliers to reduce carbon emissions in alignment with climate science.
As part of our Mission Possible campaign, edie brings you this weekly round-up of five of the best sustainability success stories of the week from across the globe.
The Bank of America has increased an existing $300bn sustainable business initiatives fund to attempt to mobilise $1trn by 2030 for initiatives that will support the net-zero transition.
The coronavirus pandemic is acting as a "white swan" moment that is accelerating corporate focus on long-term sustainability strategies, but better disclosure and communication is needed for investors to unlock new finance to spur the green transition.
Apple has revealed that more than 100 of its manufacturing partners across the supply chain have agreed to source 100% renewable electricity for the production of Apple products, a move that looks set to avoid more than 15 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
Horizon Organic, the largest USDA certified organic dairy brand in the world, has publicly disclosed the summary of life cycle assessments (LCA) for its whole milk half gallons, in a bid to outline areas of improvement as it strives to become "carbon positive" by 2025.
A coalition of 20 multinational consumer goods firms have developed a roadmap to eliminate commodity-driven deforestation, after pledging last year to deliver a 'forest-positive' impact.
Gin brand Bombay Sapphire has announced that it is on track to certify all of its key ingredients as sustainable by the end of 2021. It had originally been striving to achieve this milestone in 2025.
Tesco has unveiled a new "climate manifesto", pledging to help customers eat more sustainable diets, reducing food waste from farm to fork, and ramping up its efforts to become a net-zero business by 2035.
EXCLUSIVE: The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the fragility of both society and the sprawling value chains that the economy relies on. Shifting nations to a circular economy could be key in delivering a green recovery that champions sustainable income and environmental stewardship.
Brazilian meat producer JBS has ringfenced $1bn to reaching net-zero emissions across its value chain by 2040, while also aiming to eliminate illegal deforestation.
Green groups have expressed their anger at the Government's new £16bn sector deal that pledges to align the oil and gas sector with the national net-zero target, while also ending financing for overseas fossil fuel projects, with many frustrated by a refusal to end oil and gas licensing.
An analysis of the anti-deforestation work of 553 of the world's largest businesses has found that just 1% are taking 'best practice' action. This is despite the multi-billion-dollar risks associated with inaction.
Nomad Foods, which owns brands such as Birds Eye, Findus and Green Cuisine, has unveiled a new strategic partnership with WWF that will deliver "nature-positive" farming practices to protect and promote biodiversity while tackling the climate crisis.
Volkswagen (VW) has committed to selling more than 450,000 electric vehicles (EV) globally in 2021 - more than double the amount it sold in 2020 - as part of its Covid-19 recovery efforts.
In recent months, the importance of biodiversity in combatting the climate crisis has reached a new level understanding, with policymakers and academics peering into this complex topic to try and outline how the private sector can champion it. Here, edie hears from the businesses that have already enshrined regenerative practices into their business model.
The UK Government has unveiled a new Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy that will spur rapid decarbonisation across industry, the public sector, construction and manufacturing. But do green groups believe the strategy will put the nation on course for net-zero by 2050?
After pledging to become a net-zero business by 2040, Dixons Carphone has announced plans to help its 10,000 suppliers measure and reduce their climate impact.
edie's #SustyTalk interview series continues with an exclusive discussion with Weetabix's supply chain & technical director John Petre, who also heads up the business's sustainability work.
Supermarket Iceland Foods has joined a scheme connecting businesses, non-profits, scientists and public sector bodies in a bid to tackle the 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear abandoned in the world's oceans each year.
One of Procter & Gamble's (P&G) biggest brands, Ariel, has unveiled a new brand ambition headlined by a vision to "reinvent" for decarbonisation at all parts of the laundry value chain.
British American Tobacco (BAT) has updated an ambition of becoming carbon neutral across its business by 2030 to now account for its entire value chain by 2050.
Goldman Sachs' chairman and chief executive David Solomon has updated the firm's sustainable finance commitments to target net-zero financed emissions by 2050.
US authorities have reportedly launched an investigation into online fast-fashion giant Boohoo Group's supply chain practices, following allegations of worker exploitation at supplier factories in Leicester.
Persil and Schwarzkopf owner Henkel has committed to delivering a positive climate impact by 2040, in the same week that Nokia unveiled new science-based emissions targets.
Digital file transferring service WeTransfer has confirmed it has achieved carbon neutral status, following a pledge to reduce emissions by 30% by 2025 that was set last year.
A study of the measures taken by more than 200 large businesses to safeguard human rights during the Covid-19 pandemic has found that most are taking little to no action.
A human rights firm has filed a lawsuit against major chocolate companies Nestlé, Cargill, Barry Callebaut, Mars, Olam, Hershey and Mondelēz, following allegations of child slave labour in their cocoa supply chains.
After being accused by investors and green groups of continuing to finance high-carbon projects, Bank of America has pledged to reach net-zero emissions across the projects it finances and its supply chain by 2050.
Businesses could face up to $120bn in additional costs across their supply chains from the impacts of climate and environmental breakdown in the next five years, new research from CDP has warned.
BMW has announced plans to begin sourcing aluminium produced using solar-powered manufacturing, in the same week that Rio Tinto launched a new blockchain-based sustainability standard for the material.
Workplace pension provider Smart Pension has joined an initiative led by Comic Relief co-founder Richard Curtis that will see the company commit to net-zero emissions "well ahead" of the Government's 2050 deadline.
With the 2021 Sustainability Leaders Awards taking place on Wednesday (3 February), this feature series showcases the achievements of the 2020 winners and reveals their secrets to success. Up next: The winners of the Business of the Year award, Barry Callebaut.
PepsiCo is the latest food and drink giant to strike up a working partnership with Beyond Meat, with both firms producing a new joint venture to increase production of plant-based protein.
edie has today (29 January) confirmed a final addition to the Sustainability Leaders Forum speaker line-up in the form of Andrew Griffith MP, who will deliver a keynote speech about the business opportunity of COP26 on the second day of the virtual event, which runs from 2-4 February.
Microsoft has turned to Climeworks' carbon dioxide removal technology as one of the key measures that will help with a mission to reach negative emissions by 2030 and remove the company's historic emissions by 2050.
General Motors (GM) will target carbon neutrality across its operations and products globally by 2040, while also committing to set science-based targets that would deliver net-zero emissions ten years later.
Mastercard has pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, aiming to expand the use of onsite solar technology while also decarbonising its supply chain.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will steer a consortium-led initiative to make electric vehicles (EVs) lighter while also enabling larger batteries to be fitted to increase range.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is urging businesses to do more to tackle their supply chain emissions, which often represent the bulk of their total climate footprint, and has published new advice on how to do so.
Unilever has today (21 January) unveiled a raft of new commitments aimed at building a more equitable and inclusive society by vowing to ensure the people across its value chain earn at least a living wage by 2030 and spending €2bn annually with suppliers consisting of under-represented groups by 2025.
This report showcases the output of edie's SPARK! event, where expert energy professionals from a range of sectors shared experiences driving engagement to change behaviours around energy use.
PepsiCo has committed to reducing emissions across its value chain by 40% by 2030 before reaching net-zero by 2040, as part of new climate plans it claims are Paris-Agreement-aligned.
edie's #SustyTalk interview series continues with Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I's Michelle Norman revisiting the company's key climate and plastics milestones from 2020 and looking ahead to what this year will hold for corporate sustainability.
This new series profiles the members of edie's 30 Under 30 - a nomination-based community of 30 hugely talented young sustainability and energy professionals who have already achieved great things or are showing fantastic promise. Up next: Unilever's global supply chain manager Marta Perricone.
This new series profiles the members of edie's 30 Under 30 - a nomination-based community of 30 hugely talented young sustainability and energy professionals who have already achieved great things or are showing fantastic promise. Up next: Matthew Algie's sustainability manager Amy Oroko.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has selected six projects across the UK that will receive a share of £8m in funding to drive progress towards creating the world's first net-zero emissions industrial zone by 2040.
IBM has partnered with the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) on a new data platform to help track plastic waste and recovery globally.
Jaguar Land Rover's (JLR) venture capital and mobility services arm has invested in a blockchain technology scale-up that will help it to make supply chains for battery materials more sustainable.
International property and investments group Lendlease has launched a new roadmap which outlines how eliminating diesel use on construction sites and procuring 100% renewable electricity will help the company reach net-zero emissions by 2040.
Technology giant Telefónica, food manufacturer Nestlé and waste management firm Ragn-Sells are the latest businesses to sign up to a collaborative movement to reduce value chain emissions in line with the 1.5C ambition of the Paris Agreement.
M&S is planning to relaunch its industry-leading Plan A sustainability programme in 2021 to reflect on the changing environmental and social needs globally, with a new ESG Board Sub-Committee to be set up to scrutinise the strategy.
The Government has unveiled the long-awaited Energy White Paper today (14 December), with green groups welcoming the focus it provides to both job growth and rapid decarbonisation in order to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Engineering firm Jacobs has revealed it is now powered by 100% renewable energy and has reached net-zero emissions for its operations and business travel, pledging to become carbon negative by 2030.
Fashion giant Gap Inc has pledged to only source cotton which is certified as sustainable within five years, through the US Cotton Trust Protocol.
edie's latest SDG Spotlight report, produced in association with Rio, looks at how businesses can transform operations, services, supply chains and strategies to help deliver Goal 12: Responsible Production and Consumption.
Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) has committed to reducing net emissions across its value chain by 30% by 2030, before bringing them to net-zero by 2040.
Businesses in the vanguard of sustainability, including Unilever, Interface, Ikea and DSM, have come together to craft a new set of recommendations as to how the wider corporate community can embed a purpose aimed at tackling the climate crisis and social inequalities across the business.
While many major food brands are launching "green" or plant-based products, less than two in ten are measuring and disclosing emissions from their supply chains - which are likely to be the most-emitting parts of their business.
With the 2021 Sustainability Leaders Awards approaching, this new feature series showcases the achievements of the 2020 winners and reveals their secrets to success. Up next: The winner of our Water Management Project of the Year award, The Coca-Cola Foundation and WWF UK.
Vodafone has committed to reducing its carbon emissions to net-zero by 2040 and will eliminate emissions from its activities and energy and halve scope 3 emissions by 2030.
Brewing giant Diageo has committed to achieving net-zero operational emissions within a decade and to halving its indirect (Scope 3) emissions within the same timeframe, as part of a new ten-year strategy.
Brands such as Nespresso, Nescafé Dolce Gusto and Tassimo have launched a new recycling initiative that aims to get the coffee sector collaborating on a simplistic way to enable consumers to recycle coffee pods in the UK.
After participating in edie's 'Business Model Innovation' open roundtable at Net-Zero Live earlier this month, sustainable business expert and commentator Mike Townsend explores four key shifts in search of the 'holy grail' - how we can transition to circular business models that are sustainable and profitable, yet also attractive for customers and suppliers.
edie's flagship Sustainability Leaders Forum has built on consecutive Bronze accolades at the annual Conference Awards by being awarded Silver in the coveted Conference of the Year category.
This new series profiles the members of edie's 30 Under 30 - a nomination-based community of 30 hugely talented young sustainability and energy professionals who have already achieved great things or are showing fantastic promise. Up next: Lidl GB's senior responsible sourcing manager Amali Bunter.
With the 2021 Sustainability Leaders Awards approaching, this new feature series showcases the achievements of the 2020 winners and reveals their secrets to success. Up next: The winner of our employee engagement initiative of the year, Barry Callebaut.
A new analysis of 229 of the world's largest companies has found that almost half are unable to prove they are protecting human rights in line with the UN's requirements - with more than one-third scoring zero on due diligence.
New measures designed to stop UK-based businesses from importing products or materials linked to deforestation abroad have been added to the Environment Bill - but some green groups argue that loopholes will remain.
More than 60 leading retailers, including Pret UK, Burberry, Sainsbury's and Missguided, have pledged to support a new collaborative roadmap to transform the sector and its supply chain to net-zero emissions by 2040.
With the 2021 Sustainability Leaders Awards entry deadline approaching, this new feature series showcases the achievements of the 2020 winners and reveals their secrets to success. Up next: The winner of our Supply Chain Excellence award: Ella's Kitchen.
To kickstart edie's Net-Zero November, carpet manufacturer Interface's head of sustainability Jon Khoo reflects on the company's own ambitious Climate Take Back strategy, as well as discussing how business mindsets and models can "act like carbon sinks" to transform corporates into zero-impact organisations.
Fashion giant Primark has signed the UN's Fashion Charter, committing it to reducing emissions by 30% by 2030 and achieve net-zero by 2050.
Some of the world's largest banks have been linked to industries that are causing mass deforestation and biodiversity loss, with some in the finance sector providing loans and underwriting worth more than $2.6trn to climate-wrecking initiatives.
The world's largest brewer is piloting blockchain technology to trace barley throughout its European supply chains and to provide customers with more sustainability-related information.
The Estée Lauder Companies will introduce vanilla that has been traced throughout the supply chain using blockchain technology to more than 125 of its Aveda-brand products next spring.
What makes emissions targets "science-based"? How can businesses go beyond 2C alignment and strive for 1.5C? And what role do these targets play in the net-zero movement? This free edie explains guide answers all of these questions and more.
When the iPhone 12 launched earlier this week, all eyes were on the tech specs and the price. But what about the cult smartphone's impact on the environment and society?
Burberry has revealed that it has supported IBM interns to develop a prototype cloud and blockchain tool aimed at tracing materials and products across the fashion supply chain, including information about their environmental and human impact.
Mars has confirmed it is now operating with a deforestation-free supply chain for palm oil, following a year-long process to streamline the number of mills that it sources from.
McDonald's, Nandos, Nestle, Mondelez and all of the UK's 'big seven' supermarkets have urged the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) to bolster its proposed legislation for tackling deforestation in supply chains.
With the 2021 Sustainability Leaders Awards entry deadline approaching, this new feature series showcases the achievements of the 2020 winners and reveals their secrets to success. Up first: The winner of our Team of the Year award, Willmott Dixon Group.
Just 14% of the 235 investor signatories of a statement asking the companies in their portfolios to stop deforestation in the Amazon rainforest have followed through by introducing their own zero-deforestation policies.
The manufacturing sector has a rich history of innovating to overcome persistent challenges. But the twin disruptions of the net-zero transition and the Covid-19 pandemic have made the sector's green efforts paramount to business prosperity. Here, edie explores how manufacturers are navigating these challenges.
Construction firm Willmott Dixon has committed that all new build and refurbishment projects it delivers from 2030 onwards will be net-zero carbon in operation, as part of a new sustainability strategy that will see the company become zero-carbon in its own operations over the next decade.
McDonald's has launched a "Sustainable MacFries Fund" in partnership with McCain to improve the resilience of British potato farmers, while also collaborating with the Walmart Foundation, WWF and Cargill in the US to improve land use practices.
Nestle, Mars and Unilever are among the 17 multinational consumer goods firms leading a new corporate coalition dedicated to tackling deforestation, forest degradation and land conversion in supply chains.
Princes is printing QR codes on its Napolina brand tomato products which, when scanned, will provide consumers with information about supply chain sustainability.
Microsoft has built on its ambitious emissions reduction targets by committing to becoming a "water positive" business by 2030, pledging to replenish more water than it uses.
The UK Government has made the first major changes to the Modern Slavery Act since its introduction in 2015, extending requirements to public bodies including local authorities and tightening rules for big businesses.
Ikea, Unilever, BT, Ericsson and Telia are among the founding corporate members of a new initiative designed to help multinational supply chains align with the Paris Agreement's 1.5C trajectory.
US retail giant Walmart has committed to becoming a zero emissions business by 2040 by pledging to become carbon neutral across its global operations without relying on carbon offsets.
Food and drink ingredient supplier Tate & Lyle has had goals to reduce operational and value chain emissions approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
Nespresso has outlined plans to reduce supply chain emissions, invest in insetting at coffee farms and purchase carbon offsets to reach carbon neutrality by 2022.
EXCLUSIVE: Patagonia's vice president for social & environmental responsibility has told of how she witnessed a "groundswell" in regenerative farming in recent months, of a scale that has been unprecedented during her 10+ years working across supply chains.
More than 80 major European brands, including P&G, PepsiCo and Mondi will collaborate to explore the feasibility of using "digital watermarks" to improve the sorting of recyclable packaging across the European Union (EU), as part of the HolyGrail 2.0 project spearheaded by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Transitioning to a circular economy can assist in the net-zero transition, with a new report supported by AECOM stating that carbon reductions of up to 50% can be delivered and £35bn generated for the UK economy by using closed-loop materials throughout the design process of infrastructure projects.
The European Commission will announce the launch of a new industry alliance this week, with a view to building a complete EU supply chain for raw materials like lithium, which are seen as critical for the bloc's digital and green transitions.
A group of the world's leading producers of cement have issued a new industry commitment to deliver carbon-neutral concrete by 2050.