Collecting data on suppliers has always been difficult, but there are now some new tools that allow both companies and consumers to see what suppliers are doing.
In an article in GreenBiz, Heather Clancy talks about an industry-led initiative to collect and display data on suppliers with regard to a number of factors including environmental issues.
One such effort is from the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. Six multinational apparel companies — Esprit, Gap, Inditex, New Balance, PUMA and Target — became the first to have all of their Chinese suppliers openly identified on the IPE Green Supply Chain map.
Jointly developed by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Beijing-based Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs (IPE), the map visualizes real-time and historical trend data on air pollution, soil contamination and wastewater for more than 15,000 major industrial facilities. The information reaches back at least eight years.
And this map can be viewed by consumers.
Clancy talked to Linda Greer, founder of the NGO's Clean by Design green supply chain program, who pointed out that this will give consumers the "tools to assess the environmental impact of their favorite brands' global operations."
To see the full article click here.
