SUPPLY CHAIN
Javier López Gómez Global Head of
Corporate Sustainability at SGS
“WE ’ VE BEEN LOOKING AT TACKLING SCOPE 3 IN ALL OUR PURCHASED GOODS SUPPLIERS ACROSS BEAUTY AND NUTRITION ”
MARK JONES CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER , THG
Striking the right balance Last year , Clyde & Co implemented a set of sustainable procurement principles which , in effect , encourage suppliers to adopt its sustainability targets as a minimum , before they become obligatory in three years ’ time .
Patrick divulges that this came about as a result of a major client imposing decarbonisation goals into its legal service contract , dictating the contract would end if they are not met . He explains : “ This particular client was unique when they imposed these goals in 2022 , but it ’ s no longer unique . We have something in the region of 15 % of global revenue tied into short-term decarbonisation goals .
“ So , to a degree , we have to be a bit more authoritarian with our own supply chain . We have to strike that balance of bringing people on the journey , but also we also have to be a little bit more imposing in how fast they start that journey .” Continuing on the theme of collaboration , Mark emphasises the importance of striking the right balance between ‘ carrot and stick ’ when engaging with suppliers .
He concludes : “ One thing we ’ re looking at is what opportunities there are with our suppliers to look at innovative products or services , but , in order to create innovation , you have to create trust .
“ What ’ s been really successful is bringing in not just suppliers , but also our internal teams . You have to involve the commercial teams – the buying or procurement teams – in regards to what the strategy looks like .”
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