Sustainable Business Podcast by Innovation Forum

How the apparel sector can cut supply chain emissions and water use

PEFC’s CEO and secretary-general Ben Gunneburg and Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh talk about how sourcing fibres from sustainably managed and certified forests can make real improvements in terms of environmental impacts for the fashion sector.

They discuss potential consumer trends post-pandemic, how relationships with brands around transparency might change, and why a chain of custody approach can help.

PEFC was a sponsor of the recent Innovation Forum sustainable apparel and textiles conference.

Weekly podcast: Consumer shifts and pandemic impacts on apparel supply chains

This week: Terry Lawler, fabric development manager for Naia at Eastman, discusses what the coronavirus pandemic has meant for the apparel sector, and the innovations required to meet the resulting change in consumer habits. She outlines what brands should consider doing to rethink sourcing policies to enable more sustainable supply chains.

Plus: latest Global Forest Watch report, Ikea doubles down on circularity with Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and dangers of microplastics from tyres revealed, in the news roundup.

Hosted by Ian Welsh

The corporate challenges in achieving net zero emissions

Pauline Op de Beeck, client manager at the Carbon Trust, and Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh discuss the importance of definitions for companies and organisations striving for net-zero emissions.

They talk about best practice in off-setting and why actually cutting emissions is essential, how to include scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions and why creativity is an essential part of how to really get to grips with greenhouse gas impacts.

How to increase apparel supply chain transparency beyond tier 2

Joining Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb at the recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference are Patagonia’s senior manager for traceability Nicholas Allen, Cotton Council International’s European director Stephanie Thiers-Ratcliffe, and H&M’s head of sustainability Pascal Brun.  

They discuss some of the challenges for business in really getting to know their supply chains, the benefits of supplier mapping, and examples of how traceability lead to transparency.

Introduced by Ian Welsh

Weekly podcast: Intel on supplier mapping, and Fairtrade America on pandemic impacts on human rights

This week: Mary Linnell-Simmons, Fairtrade America’s director of marketing, discusses some of the trade and human rights implications of the coronavirus pandemic, including commodity supply chain child labour risks, and how consumer relationships with brands are changing.

And, Intel’s senior manager for supply chain sustainability, Mike McDonnell, talks about some of the ongoing compliance challenges for a company with 10,000 suppliers and how more specific rules and guidance is a real help.

Hosted by Ian Welsh

How to develop effective grievance systems that workers trust

Drew Northern, director, global anticorruption at Cook Group, talks with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh about how business should respond to human rights violations and what appropriate mechanisms can be put in place to remedy victims effectively. They discuss how to ensure worker voice solutions work well, and the benefits of tailoring remediation plans to individual cases.

 

Can apparel successfully transition to a circular economy?

Recorded at the recent Innovation Forum sustainable apparel and textiles conference are Anna Maria Rugarli, senior director of sustainability and responsibility EMEA for VF Corp, Renee Henze, global marketing and channel development director for DuPont Biomaterials, and Burak Cakmak, dean of fashion at Parsons.

They debate with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh the fundamental building blocks necessary for shifting the apparel sector from linear to circular models. They discuss the challenges to achieving this, the cross-sector collaboration required and the need for thinking of circular solutions from the point of design.

Weekly podcast: Sustainable forest fibres and net-zero emissions challenges

This week: Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International, on the benefits for the apparel sector from switching to forest-based fibres. And Pauline Op de Beeck, client manager at the Carbon Trust, on the challenges for brands getting to net zero emissions, particularly scope 3 supply chain emissions.

Plus: why 155 big brands want climate science led pandemic response; UK supermarkets threaten Brazil boycott; cocoa initiative progress in west Africa; and, hopes for plastic-from-plants for Carlsberg, Coca-Cola and Danone, in the news digest.

Hosted by Ian Welsh

Weekly podcast: Dupont on apparel sector circular economy models

This week: Renee Henze, global marketing and channel development director, Dupont Biomaterials, talks about the challenges for the apparel and textiles sector in developing real circular economy models, and the roles of designers and fabric manufacturers in moving the industry towards achieving them. Henze outlines the spectrum of what consumers want their favourite brands to do to promote circularity – and how greater desire for environmental sustainability from consumers is driving the sector forwards.

Plus: risks for US livestock supply chains; more bad news on ocean microplastics; total global deforestation down, but rates up in tropical forests; the palm oil as fuel debate; and, pandemic impact on migrant labour, in the news digest.

Hosted by Ian Welsh

FSC and Eastman Naia on the sourcing sustainable wood pulp challenges

FSC and Eastman Naia on the sourcing sustainable wood pulp challenges

Ruth Farrell, textiles marketing director at Eastman Naia, and Andrés Ortolano, FSC Italy chain of custody manager, discuss with Ian Welsh the role of certification in helping develop sustainable wood pulp supply chains in the apparel sector.

They talk about how to ensure protection of critical ancient forests, while providing brands and their customers with the assurance they are increasingly looking for when making purchasing decisions.

FSC and Eastman Naia were sponsors of Innovation Forum's recent sustainable textiles and apparel conference.