Innovation Forum Podcast

Phil Bloomer, executive director of the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, talks with Innovation Forum's Ian Welsh about where the burdens of the pandemic are likely to be felt as business finds a way through the crisis. They discuss some of the challenges that are emerging and how government relief for companies should be managed. Bloomer points out the potential for humanising of supply chains as consumers become more aware of where the essential products that they rely on come from and how they are produced. Listeners should note that this interview was recorded on 31st March amid fast-moving events.

This week: H&M’s Pascal Brun and Puma Group’s Stefan Seidel debate action on climate change and what future low carbon business models will look like with Innovation Forum’s Toby Webb. Plus: pandemic impacts on Bangladeshi factories; 2020 fashion transparency index, WHO action on wet markets, and species extinction warnings, in the news digest.   Host: Ian Welsh

This week: Bryan Yates, general manager and director of sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Orbital Insight, talks about how analysis of geospatial data can help companies track their supply chains and gauge risks. In particular he discusses the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on food supply chains, and how data can give insight into how social distancing is being practiced in different cities. Yates highlights why new pinch points in supply chains and social activity more generally have developed and the challenges they present. Plus: farm animal welfare concerns, child labour in cocoa supply chains, and new plastic eating enzymes, in the news roundup. Hosted by Ian Welsh

This week: Why education and active engagement is how to work with suppliers to implement human rights policy, and how to overcome the inevitable capacity challenges, with insight from Shane Tyler at Fresca Group and Sarah Carpenter from Assent Compliance.   Plus: what Primark is doing to help millions of laid-off garment factory workers; UN call for wet market bans; and, UK government scheme to cut food waste through better redistribution, in the news digest. Host: Ian Welsh

This week: Phil Bloomer, executive director of the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, discusses with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh some key impacts for companies as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Bloomer describes how it’s the suppliers of big brands – in, for example, the apparel sector – who will ultimately suffer as orders are cancelled and workers laid off, or exploited. More positively, he argues that the crisis does mean that many supply chains become more transparent – such as the rubber gloves manufacturing sector in Malaysia – as consumers take more interest in them. Plus, all the news about Innovation Forum’s upcoming spring online conference series.

Kristin Hughes, director of the Global Plastic Action Partnership, a multistakeholder initiative coordinated by the World Economic Forum, talks with Ian Welsh about the partnership’s work over the past 12 months coordinating government and brand approaches and desire to do something effective. Hughes explains why the partnership is focusing efforts in southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa developing waste collection and recycling infrastructure, and paths to a circular economy approach.

In this session, an expert panel discusses the opportunity for business to act as human rights defenders. They assess when and how companies should take action, and how this space will evolve. The panel also considers how NGOs and companies can together move human rights further up the consumer interest agenda, and act as agents for change. Andreas Graf, human rights manager, FIFA Celia Ouellette, chief executive, Responsible Business Initiative for Justice Matthias Stausberg, group advocacy director, Virgin Host: Ian Welsh, Innovation Forum

Corporate transparency on human rights has never been more important, and many initiatives have been developed to help businesses get this right. In this webinar session, an expert panel consider the state of play of current levels of disclosure, and which companies and sectors are performing well or badly, and why. They also discuss the challenges for businesses keen to develop a best-practice approach, and how to engage with investors, civil society and other stakeholders. Panel: Camille Le Pors, lead, Corporate Human Rights Benchmark, World Benchmarking Alliance Linda Kromjong, global labour and human rights director, Samsung Phil Bloomer, executive director, BHRRC Host: Toby Webb, Innovation Forum

At the point of recruitment, workers are often at their most vulnerable to falling into modern slavery. But how can brands protect the rights of workers who are not easily located within the supply chain, and also not obviously the victim of bonded labour? This webinar session explores the opportunities for business to prevent exploitation in the recruitment process. Leading the discussion: Mark Blick, head of government solutions, Diginex Demi Smoloktou, senior manager, responsible procurement, ASOS Felicitas Weber, KnowTheChain project lead, BHRRC Host: Toby Webb, Innovation Forum  

The effective abolition of child labour is one of the 10 UN Global Compact principles aiming to promote sustainable businesses practices. However, child labour is endemic in numerous sectors, with the International Labour Organisation estimating that there are currently 152 million victims of child labour worldwide. When operating in countries with known child labour risks, how can businesses monitor its supply chain and effectively remediate victims? In this webinar discussion, join: Elaine McKay, international affairs director, JTI Michelle O’Neill, VP global corporate affairs, cocoa, Mars Kate Larsen, founder/CEO, SupplyESChange Host: Ian Welsh, Innovation Forum

Working with suppliers is key to implementing human rights policy, and driving greater understanding and impact. Education and active engagement is hailed as a long-term solution to this. However, the reality is that this can be difficult to implement, especially when individual businesses do not have total capacity of a factory or farm. In this webinar discussion join: Shayne Tyler, group compliance director, Fresca Group Sarah Carpenter, manager of business and human rights, Assent Compliance Host: Ian Welsh

This week: Highlights from a recent Innovation Forum webinar discussing evolving business and human rights legislation, the compliance challenges, and how this impacts companies and their supply chains, with Institute for Human Rights and Business, Mondelēz, Unicef and Freshfields. Plus: why using biomass as a fuel might be climate positive after all; Nestlé’s cocoa and deforestation progress; and, investors put pressure on Corporate Human Rights Benchmark laggards, in the news digest. Hosted by Ian Welsh  

Yuca Waarts, senior researcher, sustainable value chain development, Wageningen University talks with Ian Welsh about the challenges developing living incomes for smallholder farmers and plantation workers. She points out that the interventions that can make a difference for coffee, tea and cocoa production aren’t necessarily the same, with many factors impacting income levels, and argues that for many smallholders finding a way out of poverty is impossible with ever-smaller farm sizes. However, business can still help. Follow Innovation Forum on Podbean, iTunes, Spotify or wherever you get your audio content for our weekly podcast and regular interviews with industry professionals.  

Traceability is incredibly important in mapping and monitoring high risk areas of the supply chain. But, tracing and tracking vast numbers of suppliers, especially beyond tier two, remains a significant challenge. In this webinar, discussion focuses on how business can map and monitor complex supply chains in order to prioritise high risk areas and better direct resources.  Panel: Chris Ettery, director for supply chain sustainability, Dell Laura Okkonen, senior human rights manager, Vodafone Benet Northcote, director, corporate responsibility, John Lewis  Host: Toby Webb, founder, Innovation Forum

With continually evolving regulatory growth, international compliance has become all the more complicated. Business must be aware of how current – and emerging – global regulation impacts on their supply chains and operations across jurisdictions. While many agree that the UK Modern Slavery Act has failed to deliver the transformational change that had been hoped for, there is now significant pressure and mounting momentum to amend this. The US government has also recently moved towards mandatory due diligence and even blocked the importation of goods from five nations due to suspicions of forced labour. This influx of new, amended or evolving legislation can have a transformative impact on how companies operate. In this webinar session, experts consider the following questions and more: Will there be amendments made to UK Modern Slavery Act? If so, what legal changes are expected to be made to ensure comprehensive business action? Across the globe, what other emerging legislation will impact on multinational

This week: François-Ghislain Morillion, co-founder of trainer brand Veja, on how the business has developed short and sustainable supply chains for materials in its shoes, including recycled polyester from plastic bottles. And, some exciting news from Innovation Forum about our spring conference series. Plus: Cop26 in Glasgow in question; human rights impact of Covid-19 beyond health; and, why the meat sector mights lose 45% earnings, in the news digest. Hosted by Ian Welsh

Andrew Wallis CEO of charity Unseen talks with Ian Welsh about the key human rights risks that business can’t ignore, and the unintended consequences of changing low-paid worker migration rules. Wallis argues that the pace of necessary change remains slow but welcomes the EU move towards tighter reporting rules, and other initiatives that can help companies move away from exploitative business models.   Please note that this interview was recorded in mid February.

This week: Kristin Hughes, director of the Global Plastic Action Partnership, on how a holistic multistakeholder approach is necessary to deal with plastic pollution. She discusses why the partnership is working in southeast Asia and Africa to develop waste collection and recycling infrastructure, and the path to a circular economy approach. And, Danone North America CEO Mariano Lozano talks with Innovation Forum's Toby Webb about the growth of regenerative agriculture and the business case for change in practices.    Plus: new European zero-emission plans, H+M shares supply chain and process detail, cobalt human rights risks in DRC, and Iceland’s plastic progress, in the news digest. Hosted by Ian Welsh

New Forest 500 report authors Sarah Rogerson and Emma Thomson, from Global Canopy, discuss with Innovation Forum’s Ian Welsh why the 2020 report argues there isn’t enough progress on deforestation from business and investors among the largest companies involved in commodity supply chains. They talk about how some companies – the usual suspects – are making progress, and others are failing to live up to commitments or even quietly dropping them altogether. And they speculate that companies involved in the animal feed sector may be ones in the spotlight over the coming year.

This week: Yum! Brands’ Jon Hixon, Mondelēz International’s Christine McGrath and Nestlé’s Anna Turrell debate the action the food sector is taking to tackle the climate emergency, and make the necessary cuts in emissions to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C. They consider some of the challenges around developing effective science-based targets.   Plus: rich country payments to protect biodiversity; synthetic palm oil boost; plastic leakage mapping; and, big brands in court over “misleading” recycling claims. Hosted by Ian Welsh