Supply Chain Initiative

The Purpose of the Supply Chain Initiative

Sewing a FairFeal Trading Ethletic football

Small and medium-sized businesses are required to provide increasing amounts of information to maintain their position in the supply chain or to tender for new business. This requirement is due to increasing regulation, consumer concerns about the environmental and social footprint of products and services, in addition to the desire of ‘big business’ to protect their brand and reputation and to reduce their costs.

Initiatives in the retail sector, ICT sector and financial services sector are seeking to develop a consistent approach to the supply chains in these sectors. There are also global initiatives including those of the Carbon Disclosure Project, London 2012 and the Office of Government Procurement. But none is looking across the breadth of British business.

The Supply Chain Initiative (Supplier Support and Information Initiative) worked with leading companies, in cooperation with other initiatives, to support a standard industry-wide approach for gathering core information across all sectors. This could feed into a standard industry recognised ‘request for information’ that would help to simplify and speed the process, help to ensure consistency of approach and best practice across the markets and be a tangible demonstration of ‘large business’ actively helping and supporting smaller businesses.

Taskforce companies included:

• BT Group plc

• EDF Energy

• Kingfisher plc

• Lloyds TSB (Chair)

• Marks & Spencer plc

• Royal Mail Group plc

• Serco Group plc

• United Utilities plc

Carbon Management: A Practical Guide for Suppliers

Carbon management makes good business sense. The need to manage carbon emissions is not going to go away. In the UK, new climate change legislation passed in late 2008 means that pressure from customers and government to address carbon emissions is going to increase, not decrease.

Based on their own practical experience, a taskforce of eight leading companies worked with CPSL and Business in the Community to produce a groundbreaking ‘Guide to carbon management’ for suppliers. The Guide sets out practical tools and strategic advice which suppliers require in order to compete, regardless of size.

Purpose of the Guide

The Guide, with a Foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales, helps suppliers understand the main issues in carbon management, prioritise their actions and maximise the business benefits – including saving money and time.

Although principally written for UK companies, the Guide is relevant to suppliers based in other countries. It was launched at the Prince’s May Day Summit 2009.

Download Carbon Management: A Practical Guide for Suppliers.