Sustainability and Supply Chain Quality Transformation Summit 2024 
DEEP DIVE SESSIONS (ON-DEMAND)

Join us for this engaging Session with Vik Saran, Director of Materials at New Balance, shares his extensive experience in implementing an effective materials management program that emphasizes quality, predictability, and sustainability. He outlines the key components of New Balance's material strategy, including a commitment to delivering high-quality products while ensuring a seamless supply chain that is environmentally responsible. 

Vik discusses the challenges of maintaining consistency across diverse suppliers and geographies, highlighting the importance of strong partnerships and third-party inspections to uphold quality standards. Additionally, he explains how digital tools and metrics are leveraged to track supplier performance and drive continuous improvement, ultimately enhancing brand reputation and consumer trust. The session provides valuable insights for industry professionals looking to enhance their materials management practices while navigating the complexities of sustainability in the footwear sector.

In this insightful Session, Nicholas Lambert, Head of Circularity at Primark Cares, discusses the company's innovative approach to circular fashion design. Lambert explains that circularity for Primark means transitioning from a traditional "take-make-waste" model to a more sustainable approach focused on product design, durability, and recyclability. The company has developed a Circular Product Standard, launched in April, which provides a tangible framework for designing clothing with future sustainability in mind. Starting with denim and jersey categories, Primark is working collaboratively with suppliers to create more recyclable and durable clothing, with a commitment that by 2030 all clothes will be made from recycled or sustainably sourced materials. Their approach involves carefully testing and scaling circular design principles across different product categories, engaging suppliers, and creating internal buy-in through consistent, engaging communication that makes circular design both practical and exciting.

In this session, we'll explore actionable insights into sustainability from the manufacturer’s perspective and the strategic value of near-shoring.  Featuring Luis Marquina, COO of Intradeco, and Jimmy Summers, Chief Sustainability Officer of Elevate Textiles, the session highlights how both companies have integrated sustainability into their operations through investments in energy efficiency, water conservation, and innovative processes. The discussion emphasizes the importance of fostering long-term partnerships with suppliers and customers to balance cost pressures with sustainability goals. By focusing on near-shoring, the speakers illustrate how working with suppliers closer to consumers in the U.S. or Europe can enhance traceability, reduce environmental impact, and create a more resilient supply chain. They also address challenges like cost recovery for sustainable investments and the need for standardized metrics to ensure a level playing field across global supply chains.

The Decarbonization session, hosted by Rakesh Vazirani, focused on advancing supply chain decarbonization initiatives, particularly within the fashion sector. The session highlighted the interconnectedness of global trade and resource consumption, emphasizing the need for companies to address greenhouse gas emissions in alignment with the Paris Agreement. Key discussions included the significance of Scope 3 emissions, which often have a disproportionate impact on overall emissions, and the importance of collective action among brands, retailers, and manufacturers to accelerate progress. Results from giz Programs included examples of water efficiency and greener chemistry and their contribution to GHG reduction.

Case studies showcased successful pilot projects based on Manufacturer Climate Action Program (MCAP) as a framework for helping manufacturers set science-aligned targets, GHG Advisory to support manufacturers with national regulation in Vietnam, SBTi advisory for a fast growing Fashion conglomerate, Verification of resource efficiency, LCA at scale using digital platform, and online Academy to quickly scale knowledge across supplychain.

The session concluded with insights on overcoming challenges such as data availability, capacity building, and engaging upstream suppliers to foster a more sustainable and efficient supply chain. 

In this comprehensive Session, Martin Smith, founder and CEO of CommonShare, explores the evolving landscape of due diligence in global business operations. Smith explains that due diligence is essentially doing thorough homework before making important business decisions, particularly in verifying information and ensuring compliance. The discussion emphasizes a risk-based approach to verification, where companies strategically prioritize their due diligence efforts based on factors like geography, industry, and known supplier concerns. Smith highlights that reputation plays a crucial role in risk assessment, with less-known companies requiring more scrutiny. 

In this deep dive session, Martina Kerbl interviews Mitsuko Wong, Ralph Lauren's Senior Director of Sustainability Impact, exploring the company's comprehensive approach to sustainability and climate action. Wong highlights Ralph Lauren's ambitious energy and climate roadmap, which includes a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030 and achieve net-zero by 2040. The discussion centers on the company's strategic approach to decarbonization, particularly focusing on supplier engagement through customized advisory services. A key innovation discussed is the implementation of the Facility Data Manager (FDM) tool, which allows for more streamlined and frequent data collection from suppliers. Wong emphasizes the importance of a targeted approach to sustainability, noting that while there are many aspects to address, companies must prioritize immediate goals and leverage industry tools and standards. The interview underscores Ralph Lauren's commitment to sustainability as a core business value, integrating environmental considerations into their long-standing tradition of creating timeless, authentic products.

This Session, hosted by Helen Colbourne, Technical Consultant at Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services, and Dr. Katy Stevens, Head of CSR and Sustainability at the European Outdoor Group (EOG), explores the evolving challenges of EU textile regulations and their impact on the outdoor industry. Dr. Stevens shares insights into how EOG supports its members—comprising brands, retailers, and supply chain partners—through collaborative sustainability initiatives, policy guidance, and supply chain decarbonization projects. Emphasizing the industry's intrinsic connection to nature, she highlights the growing importance of sustainability as a core business strategy. The discussion also addresses the unique hurdles faced by SMEs in adapting to complex legislation, offering practical advice on data readiness, transparency, and prioritization to ensure compliance and long-term success.

In this informative Session, Sarah Jackson, the textile development specialist at WRAP, shares her extensive experience and insights into the organization's approach to sustainable textile development. With a rich background spanning quality testing, product development, and textile engineering, including roles at Camira Fabrics and IKEA, Sarah explains WRAP's mission to transform the textile industry through collective action. The organization focuses on reducing carbon and water impacts, with specific targets of 50% reduction in carbon emissions and 30% reduction in water footprint for new textile products. WRAP's approach encompasses three key areas: closing the loop on materials, implementing circular business models, and designing for circularity. A crucial finding highlighted in the Session is that extending a garment's active life by just nine months can reduce its carbon, water, and waste footprints by 20-30%. Through their Textiles 2030 voluntary agreement, WRAP collaborates with brands, retailers, recyclers, sorters, and academic partners to develop comprehensive durability guidelines and testing protocols, working towards making circular living commonplace across businesses and households.

In this comprehensive Session, Joyce, Director for Asia Pacific at amfori and a leading voice in sustainability and supply chain management, shares valuable insights on the Quality Management Initiative (QMI) two years after its launch. With over 20 years of experience in driving sustainability initiatives, Joyce explains how QMI was developed in response to retailers' needs for a standardized quality management framework beyond ISO 9001 certification. The initiative has shown remarkable growth, with over 2,000 sites across 20 different industries now engaged in QMI, including sectors like household goods, leisure products, electrical equipment, and textiles. Joyce emphasizes that successful QMI implementation requires buyer-side commitment and an integrated strategy that aligns quality management with social and environmental compliance. The program has evolved from a pilot with numerous suppliers in China to becoming a global requirement for several major retailers, demonstrating its effectiveness in identifying new producers and maintaining quality standards. A key success factor has been the collaboration between various stakeholders, including the German Chamber of Commerce, professional bodies like Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency, and industry partners, making QMI an essential tool in harmonizing quality management practices across global supply chains.

In this comprehensive Session, Lewis from Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services leads a discussion with co-speakers Marinella Peruccio, Regional Manager for supply chain in Southeast Asia and Walmart's Asia key account manager, and Michael Wu, Head of Client Solutions in the supply chain and sustainability global business line. The session focuses on addressing current supply chain challenges, particularly emphasizing geopolitical uncertainties affecting production transfer and quality assurance. The speakers highlight how factors like inflation, conflicts, energy decoupling, and tariffs are driving trends in offshoring and nearshoring, which subsequently impact quality management costs. The discussion emphasizes the importance of transitioning from traditional penalty-based quality control systems to improvement-focused approaches, where suppliers can benefit from quality ownership while reducing costs associated with defect penalties. The Session stresses the significance of supply chain alignment and introduces Bureau Veritas' supply chain advisory program, which combines existing solutions with expertise across consumer product lines to create customized solutions addressing specific client pain points, particularly in response to rapidly evolving market demands and new technologies.

In this strategic Session, Chuck and Lewis from Bureau Veritas discuss the evolving landscape of supply chain quality management amid global geopolitical changes. The session focuses on how production transfers, including offshoring and nearshoring (particularly to Mexico for American businesses), are creating more complex supply chains with higher quality management costs. The speakers emphasize that change is the greatest enemy of quality, requiring a fundamental shift from traditional penalty-based systems to improvement-focused approaches. They introduce Bureau Veritas's Supply Chain Quality Transformation portfolio, which combines five key aspects of supply chain expertise to deliver customized solutions rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. The discussion highlights the importance of empowering suppliers to manage their own quality, creating alignment across the entire supply chain, and implementing solutions that address specific pain points. A key insight shared is that success in quality management requires demonstrating clear ROI for suppliers, as they need to understand how quality investments will benefit them in an increasingly dynamic supply chain environment where customer relationships may be temporary due to external factors.

In this comprehensive webinar, Niraj Singh presents crucial insights into managing hazardous substances within supply chains, addressing the growing demands for transparency and accountability in chemical management. The presentation outlines four key steps for effective chemical management, starting with understanding industry standards like RSLS (Restricted Substances List) and MRSL (Manufacturing Restricted Substances List) for across different product segments. Niraj emphasizes that hazardous substances can severely impact human health, causing issues from acute poisoning to respiratory problems, while also affecting environmental ecosystems through water, soil, and air contamination. The webinar introduces practical implementation strategies, including thorough chemical inventory management, supplier screening, and process controls. A significant focus is placed on the BVE3 platform, which has helped achieve remarkable improvements in chemical management, with MRSL-compliant chemicals increasing from 60% to 92% since 2020, and chemical transparency improving from 68.7% to 93%. The presentation concludes by highlighting the importance of integrating input, process, and output controls into a cohesive chemical management system for achieving true sustainability throughout the supply chain.

In this Session, Valentine Menuet, Sustainable Development and Circular Economy Officer at Bureau Veritas, addresses the critical role of material traceability in achieving sustainability and regulatory compliance. He highlights key challenges manufacturers face, such as supply chain data management, lack of technical knowledge in new business models, and navigating complex EU regulations like the Eco Design for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and Batteries Regulation. Valentine outlines actionable solutions, including lifecycle assessments, eco-design strategies, and Bureau Veritas' Material Traceability Assessment Program, which audits processes to ensure transparency and reliability in environmental claims. He also discusses the importance of certifications like the BV Process Certification Mark and Green Claim Verification to combat greenwashing and substantiate claims. This session provides a practical roadmap for businesses to align with CE marking requirements and meet evolving sustainability goals.

In this comprehensive Session, Lewis  presents crucial insights into managing and verifying green claims in today's marketplace. Consumer research reveals that 73% of consumers consider sustainability important in purchasing decisions, with 74% willing to pay more for verified durability claims. The presentation addresses the evolving landscape of greenwashing, which has seen a 12% overall decline since 2019, though high-severity cases have increased by 30%. Bacon introduces Bureau Veritas's comprehensive solution, including their BV Green Mark certification program, which covers four key areas: carbon footprint verification, low energy usage, compostability, and durability testing. The program emphasizes the importance of scientific verification and proper documentation, moving away from vague eco-friendly statements to specific, measurable claims. Through case studies, including Valeo's successful 61% CO2 reduction verification for their canopy wiper blade, Bacon demonstrates how companies can effectively communicate their sustainability achievements while navigating complex regulatory requirements across global markets. The presentation concludes by highlighting Bureau Veritas's global capabilities with 400 offices worldwide and their digital platforms for streamlining sustainable claim verification processes.