The more complex a company's supply chain, the more challenging it is to devise a sustainability program that ensures environmental protection from design and manufacturing to packaging and from product transportation to end-of-life disposal and recycling. A comprehensive plan that's truly innovative is called for.
A new procurement framework focuses on speed and expertise to help scientists fight public health emergencies such as an outbreak of Ebola or Zika. The new public health microbiology diagnostic framework will enable flexibility, speed and innovation in the development of cutting edge diagnostics and treatment tools, according to Public Health England (PHE), the statutory body that exists to improve the nation's health. PHE also expects it to generate savings on regular spend.
Fashion brands are being urged to keep their supply chains in Turkey, despite the widespread risk of Syrian refugees being exploited in supplier factories, according to the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC). There has been "talk of brands shifting their purchasing elsewhere" amid increasing scrutiny and criticism of supply chains in Turkey, the BHRRC says, but responsible sourcing could provide decent work and valuable wages to Turks and Syrians.
American consumers prioritize risk-taking, adventure and living an exciting life when it comes to making purchases, according to global research by HSBC. This structural shift among U.S. consumers' purchasing habits is prompting companies to rethink existing marketing and business strategies.
The number of senior executives actively engaging in modern slavery issues has doubled among companies leading on the issue, according to a survey of businesses by the Ethical Trading Initiative and Hult International Business School. There were twice as many CEOs and other senior executives in their sample engaging in the issue since the Modern Slavery Act came into force last October.
Syrian child refugees have been found working in Turkish factories supplying British clothing chains, according to an investigation by BBC programme Panorama. Journalists said they found children in factories that were part of the supply chains of Marks and Spencer (M&S) and online retailer Asos.
A drone service delivering blood for transfusions has been launched by the president of Rwanda. The drones are expected to make between 50 and 150 life-saving deliveries a day to remote and inaccessible clinics across the western half of the country, according to Zipline, the company behind the technology.
When the $68.6bn Dow-DuPont merger is complete later this year, the historical deal won't just be the largest merger in the chemicals industry - it will be one of the most valuable mergers in history.