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Sedex Conference 2018
Beyond Compliance in Responsible Sourcing
Defining‘ Beyond Compliance’ in
Responsible Sourcing was at the core of the recently concluded Sedex Conference 2018, London. Delegates from over 40 countries representing brands, retailers and all stakeholders of industry, participated in the 2-day long event and discussed many important issues like the future of impact measurement, leadership skills, forced labour and technology innovation, to name a few. Sharing the difference, Jonathan Ivelaw- Chapman, CEO, Sedex said that a year has passed since the last Sedex Conference took place, comprising of many global issues that are sadly in a worst state of affairs. Jonathan discussed how too often businesses are simply meeting objectives and standards, rather than striving to go beyond them which would help make organisations perform better socially, environmentally and financially.
Tom Smith, the Director of Stakeholder Strategy for Walmart, discussed‘ Trust’ within responsible supply chains. He analysed why and how consumers begin to trust companies, while navigating through what he described as a VUCA world – Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. Avedis Seferian, President and CEO, WRAP reiterated the point that“ You do not fatten a pig by weighing it”…, the suggestion that audit and measurement alone would not make the change required, which was a statement that resonated with the rest of the panel and delegates alike. The panel also went into detail to debate the evolution of compliance, with frank input from Marco Baren, of Philips, about stopping auditing completely.
The debate on‘ Whose responsibility is it to go beyond compliance’ argued the statement:‘ This house believes that better compliance alone is insufficient and we are all responsible for going beyond compliance’. A panel agreed that whilst there is a time and a place for audits and certifications( compliance), they are limited in scope. We must go beyond compliance by embedding these ethical values in a holistic way through a company’ s entire way of doing business. Further challenges discussed included, ensuring that organisations understand‘ beyond compliance’ cannot be achieved if they have yet to reach compliance,
Sedex member companies include more than 25 various industries, most of which are clothing( 12.25 %) and textile segment( 2.33 %). Overall, 928 companies from India( from all segments) are members of Sedex.
16 Apparel Online India | MAY 16-31, 2018 | www. apparelresources. com