Sustainable Supply Chain Conference: afternoon highlights

Following on from an interesting and insightful morning in Euston, Logistics Manager’s Sustainable Supply Chain Conference resumed in similar fashion after the lunch break.

Lewe Goldmann, Supply Chain & Operations Director at hair styling appliance manufacturer Cloud Nine was the first of the three speakers to take the stage in the second half of the one-day face-to-face event. His session, titled ‘Innovative strategies in use to minimise the financial cost of meeting net zero goals’, began by giving delegates an overview of different types of decarbonisation goals and breaking down some of the jargon and terminology surrounding decarbonisation. This included emphasis on the important difference between carbon neutral and net zero.

Goldmann went on analyse some of the different strategies that companies like Airbus and, of course, Cloud Nine have already deployed in an effort to meet their net zero targets. He concurred with previous comments from The Cotswold Company’s Jacquie Silvester earlier in the day that carbon offsetting can work but should not be seen as a replacement for reducing the emissions a company might be responsible for, saying: “Planting trees is not the differentiating factor any more. For everyone to achieve net zero, you’ve got to do more than that.”

He highlighted the benefits to sustainable business practises outside of the obvious moral incentives, explaining: “Sustainability is not just about being green, but also being efficient and cost-efficient.” Goldmann also outlined Cloud Nine’s recently launched recycling and repair services to extend the product lifespan and reduce waste.

Next up was Yogith Krishna, UK Import Supply Lead at PepsiCo. He detailed PepsiCo’s current approach to sustainability in the supply chain and how this might change over time. He gave his take on one of the biggest challenges that companies today face: whether to prioritise business needs or sustainability targets going forward. This is particularly pertinent because, as Krishna noted, inflation has impacted business costs.

He gave the crowd insight into PepsiCo’s sustainability strategy for now and the future, particularly with regards to the Walkers Crisps brand. Initiatives included the use of EVs and the take-up of HVO fuel, as well as changes in packaging materials from plastic to paper.

Closing out the day, Head of Sustainability at Direct Wines Chris Millson gave a presentation on setting net zero goals and how attainable these goals might be as a whole. He tackled the question as to whether the necessary changes to reach widespread net zero goals are beyond the influence of most businesses.

His session also covered the difference between action and pledges as well as how carbon-conscious procurement could be a “game-changer” for the industry. He made clear his view that collaboration and co-operation across the supply chain will be essential if the sector is to meet its net zero targets. “Net zero, in my view, is unobtainable without inter-sector and intra-sector collaboration”, said Millson.

He added: “It’s got to be a team effort and maybe, through carbon-conscious procurement, we can apply pressure and motivation throughout the supply chain to ensure that we [accurately track Scope 3 emissions].”

Logistics Manager Editor Michelle Mooney then made her final speech as the conference reached its conclusion. “I found it personally really interesting to see some practical steps laid out by each of our speakers in terms of how to reduce emissions authentically instead of just talking the talk without walking the walk”, Mooney said as she thanked the day’s expert speakers.

With this conference having come to an end, attention is turning to the next conference Logistics Manager is hosting: the ESG Industrial & Logistics Conference. Held at the same venue as today’s event (30 Euston Square, London), this conference is taking place on 15 June and will see experts discussing the latest industrial and logistics property trends and insights.

It will reveal how a range of inter-related environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues can be addressed to create properties that are good places to work in, sustainable, and work in harmony with the wider stakeholder communities.

Offering networking opportunities to delegates on top of hearing from industry-leading experts, this conference is not to be missed. Register here to attend.