Innovation Forum podcast

Weekly podcast – How the apparel sector can deliver on living wage commitments

This week: Tiffany Rogers, director of fair compensation and member engagement at the Fair Labor Association talks with Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari about how apparel business can make living income commitments, as part of a new “state of apparel” content series. They discuss the challenges in implementing living wage programmes and guidance on corporate responsible purchasing practices.

Plus: CDP's non-disclosure campaign encouraging companies to make commitments more than ever before; incoming plastics and aluminium containers deposit return scheme in the UK; avoiding the risk of smallholder palm oil farmer marginalisation from EU's new due diligence regulations; and, KPMG UK's research finds potential employer's ESG decision making and corporate commitments being a determining factor in job search, in the news digest.

And, Innovation Forum's Emily Heslop provides updates on the upcoming future of food USA conference taking place in Minneapolis on 30th May-1st June.

Host: Ian Welsh

What the EU’s deforestation-free rules will mean for business

Anke Schulmeister-Oldenhove, WWF senior forest policy officer, UN policy office, talks with Innovation Forum’s Bea Stevenson about the EU's new deforestation-linked products ban. They discuss what the legislation will look like for business once entered into force with customs controls and heightened infringement prosecution, and the significance of due diligence risk assessments for EU imports and exports.

Weekly podcast – How to build food sector supply resilience

This week: Cargill's vice-president for corporate responsibility and sustainable development, Michelle Grogg, talks about the necessary action points that can deliver global food resilience amid disruptions such as extreme weather events and the war in Ukraine. She discusses the importance, for the long-term, of future-proofing farmers and engaging in smarter collaborations across organisations and sectors.

Plus: climate change failures tops 10-year risks in World Economic Forum’s 2023 Global Risks Report; Danone to reduce 30% absolute methane emissions by 2030; and, world’s economy becoming less circular according to new Circularity Gap report, in the news digest.

And, an update on the future of food conference to be held in Amsterdam on 3rd-4th May from Innovation Forum's Natasha Bodnar.

Host: Ian Welsh

Sustainable supply chains: Key trends for 2023

Supply chain sustainability is a key corporate goal. In a fast-changing environment, much business discussion has centred around the need to adapt and strive towards sustainability throughout the value chain.

In this webinar, we discussed useful insights on sustainable supply chains collected in our recent survey and hear from expert panellists in an engaging conversation analysing key trends for 2023.

The panel:
• Dr Simon Lord, expert adviser, Independent
• Dr Emily Goetsch, head of research — UK, Acre

This webinar was moderated by Ian Welsh, director of publishing at Innovation Forum.

Collaboration to drive progress on deforestation for Indonesian palm oil

Bara Robyn, partnerships and development lead at Earthworm Indonesia, talks with Ian Welsh about Earthworm Foundation's project with a palm oil business, Laot Bangko, to drive sustainability within the palm oil sector in Indonesia. They discuss the challenges of deforestation, land tenure and labour issues with Laot Bangko’s section head of the sustainability and smallholder scheme, Wahyudi Putro Widodo, and present their progress in sustainability policy development, conflict mapping and resolution, and progress on no deforestation, peat or exploitation (NDPE) palm oil production.

Weekly podcast: What business might get right on ethical trade in 2023

This week: Phil Bloomer, executive director of the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, talks about some reasons for optimism for business and human rights this year. He discusses the positive changes in public perception that are helping to drive corporate action, and why there is greater willingness from governments to cooperate on commitments such as the just transition and the outcomes from the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Plus: further proof of land conversion impacts from corporate zero-deforestation commitments from University of York; backlash from human rights groups on the continued lack of a UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner; Know the Chain's new benchmark shows continuing ICT sector’s supply chain labour rights failures; and, new UN report predicts recovery of the ozone layer hole by 2040, in the news digest.

And, insight on the upcoming sustainable apparel and textiles conference held in Amsterdam on 25th-26th April from Innovation Forum's Hanna Halmari.

Host: Ian Welsh

Join the conversation on sustainable supply chain trends for 2023 at the webinar on Wednesday 18^th January at 2pm GMT: register via this link.

Human rights beyond the Qatar World Cup

John Morrison, CEO of the Institute for Human Rights and Business, talks with Ian Welsh about a moment of opportunity for human rights and forced labour issues following the recent Fifa World Cup in Qatar. They discuss human rights risks and opportunities for businesses with increasing traceability, and requirements from trade and investment communities, and the growing prospects for companies engaging on human rights agenda as conversations on the just transition and green economy develop.

Weekly podcast: What to expect from the EU’s deforestation-linked products ban

This week: Anke Schulmeister-Oldenhove, senior forest policy officer at WWF in Brussels, talked with Bea Stevenson about the incoming EU regulations banning imports of products linked to deforestation. They discussed the paradigm shift within the agricultural sector that this will drive, the impacts of a due diligence approach and the limitations of the new regulation.

Plus: Shell to pay €15m to Nigerian communities impacted by oil pipeline leaks in 2004; the World Bank's evolution roadmap showing lending commitment to address climate change; technology’s potential to cut 40% of costs in delivering the SDGs, according to Force for Good initiative; and, Mercedes-Benz Energy partners with Lohum to supply second-life batteries, in the news digest.

And, updates from Innovation Forum’s Emily Heslop about the upcoming responsible sourcing and ethical trade conference to be held on 29th-30th March in London.

Host: Ian Welsh

UN global pact: Trying to turn off the plastics tap

Environmental Investigation Agency's ocean campaign leader Christina Dixon talked with Innovation Forum's Bea Stevenson about the priorities for the United Nations global pact on plastic pollution, in the lead up to the first negotiation session which took place in late 2022. They discussed the shared urgency to tackle plastic pollution and the importance of having a legally binding instrument for transparent plastic production reporting, agreement on definitions and financing.

Weekly podcast: Nestlé’s focus on scope 3 emissions, and a realistic plan to end deforestation

This week: Another chance to hear the two most popular podcast interviews of 2022.

At Innovation Forum's future of climate action conference, Rob Cameron, vice-president and global head of public affairs and ESG engagement at Nestlé, spoke about why companies need to continue to focus on carbon, take immediate action at scale, and the potential benefits from regenerative agriculture. He argued that there will be no transition to a low carbon economy unless it is a “just transition”, and put the case for always following the science in corporate action on climate change. 

And, Josh Tosteson, president of Everland, spoke about the new Forest Plan to tackle deforestation at scale through rapidly developing new REDD+ forest projects in threatened landscapes around the world, and accessing the unprecedented levels of climate finance via the voluntary carbon markets. He also addressed the main criticisms of REDD+ projects; how to prevent deforestation from simply leaking outside the project boundary, and how to establish baselines to measure deforestation reduction. 

And, Innovation Forum’s Catie Ball introduces the upcoming sustainable apparel and textiles USA conference, taking part on 21^st-22^nd June 2023 in New York City, including an exclusive offer for podcast listeners.

Host: Ian Welsh