A clear line of sight

The recent COP26 summit in Glasgow brought the full focus of the world’s media on to the topic of climate change and the need for all of us to operate more sustainably. The message that emerged was clear: without immediate and concerted action, the future of our planet is bleak, and businesses must lead the way in helping to develop solutions.

This common perception is also echoed by the findings revealed at the UN Global Compact Leaders’ Summit, which showed that 50 per cent of companies globally say that supply chain sustainability has grown in importance since the Covid-19 pandemic.

For many organisations, this means ensuring that items are produced and sourced responsibly, drawing on a supply chain that is committed to operating in an environmentally sustainable and morally responsible fashion.

At the heart of this is traceability: the ability for brands to demonstrate to consumers, shareholders and investors just where products – and individual components of these – have come from, enabling them to comply not just with ever-tighter regulation but also with the demands of society and an increasingly ethically and environmentally conscious public.