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.

Chinese automaker Chery Automobile Co., Ltd. ("Chery Automobile") officially joined the UN Global Compact on March 31, 2024, following a review by the United Nations Global Compact organization, the company announced on April 15 via its WeChat account. 

Apple has published its annual environmental report detailing its progress towards becoming completely carbon neutral by 2030. While critics will, of course, condemn the report as “greenwash,” it’s hard to identity many other big firms working quite as hard to be so transparent across the impact of their business.

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.

The Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions - an NGO aiming to facilitate communication and collaboration between conservation organisations and seafood industry players - has published a new set of guidelines, seeking to help members of the seafood industry overcome environmental and social challenges at all points of the supply chain.

Last month, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopted new climate disclosure rules that require public companies to take a proactive and transparent stance on climate change’s impact on their stakeholders. The rules aim to support business models that can thrive in a low-carbon economy, contributing to overall sustainability and weather-resilient businesses.