The key starting points for sustainable supply chain growth

The aim of the Sustainability LIVE brand is to bring together professionals to witness holistic insights from the corporate environment. One of the highly impacted areas of industry is the supply chain, which has also come to light for its criticality in a number of societal changes.

As a result, supply chain has naturally become a key conversation for businesses and therefore featured its own panel discussion at the hybrid event in September 2023. 

Joining the stage were:

• Rachel Moseley, Director of Sustainability at the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG)
• Amy Barnes, Head of Sustainability & Climate Change Strategy at Marsh
• Hannah Bell, Senior Procurement Sustainability Manager at Haleon
• Aleksandra Klassen, Client Development Manager at Schneider Electric

This particular group of individuals not only represents the breadth of the supply chain topic—due to their varying positions in their industries and organisations— but also showcases female representation in the sector. 

From the LSEG’s perspective, Moseley explains its key role in the supply chain. While not generally associated with activities in this space, she explains how the institution has a role to play in upholding the quality and standards across industries as the gateway to growth for businesses. 

While not claiming to ‘ensure’ that sustainability is upheld, the organisation’s ability to build by the book is crucial—as also supported by her peers in the panel. Barnes says: 

“I think it starts with mapping and understanding the extent of your supply chain. And it’s relatively, or at least should be, to understand your Tier 1 suppliers, but going below that to Tier 2, Tier 3, Tier 4, and understanding the connections is the first challenge that a lot of people have.” 

Barnes also touches on the key points mentioned on a daily basis within the supply chain sector, including data and how organisations acquire it, the digital tools used to acquire data and manage it effectively, and the ability to engage with suppliers to share sustainability insights. Bell also chips in, mentioning that engagement means integrating suppliers in this journey through digital tools. 

“Supplier integration and supplier communications is definitely fundamental for everything that we do to ensure that those materials are sustainable. The tools that we’ve been using as a business, supply chain, and a procurement function [are] already aligned with a lot of the tools and processes that we have established within the business,” say Bell. 

Following this, Bell goes on to explain how Haleon has worked with groups to educate the industry on supply chain sustainability through a number of initiatives. 

“If your suppliers don’t see that you’re serious about reducing your carbon footprint, then why would they follow suit? Setting targets specifically for Scope 3 [is something we’re seeing from a lot of suppliers],” says Klassen, as the final person to introduce herself to the panel and begin sharing her unique perspective from one of the most sustainable organisations in the world. 

She also specifically mentioned small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), expressing that these companies are somewhat reliant on corporations to deliver the sustainability message and methodology. 

To watch all of the Sustainability LIVE London sessions on demand, continue reading at Sustainability Magazine or go to our YouTube channel.