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SOURCING & SUPPLY CHAIN
WF
14
W
hat is the similarity between a preacher and a
road sign? They both point the way forward
but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they will
follow. A bit of an old joke — but there are many
environmental lobbyists who might qualify as the
preacher. One of the most vocal is Greenpeace,
which has the knack of creating the impression
that only it occupies the moral high ground and
only through its efforts will the planet be saved
and all toxic chemicals be removed. Many
might disagree and could include those
companies and communities that have
suffered as a result of lobbying
organisations’ campaigns that have turned
out to be flawed — but only after the
damage has been done.
The fact is that in the late 20th century, and
certainly in the 21st century, there are many
companies that have developed their own road
map programmes to remove toxic chemicals from being
used by their suppliers and/or in their production
processes. At the same time, they do not have the
luxury of being able to snipe from the sidelines, free
from their responsibilities to their employees and the
wellbeing of the communities within which they
operate. Or even the necessity of generating profits.
World Footwear
has been watching the latest public
spat, in which Greenpeace has extrapolated from the
production methods of two Chinese textile companies
that count some of the big brands among their
customers. By extrapolation, the focus for the lobbyists’
campaign has been on the brands. By similar methods
of broad, and sometimes disconnected, extrapolation it
could be argued that the pensions of activists are being
financed by the success of the brands they attack.
There is some satisfaction to be taken from a
statement issued by adidas, one of the brands targeted
most recently by Greenpeace. As far as the global brand
is concerned, it has been working to establish a safer,
greener and more sustainable supply chain without any
‘help’ from the lobbyists. It is clearly not alone.
“We recognise that the goal of ‘Zero Discharge’
demands the collective action of industry, regulators
and other stakeholders,” states the company. “We
believe that the elimination of hazardous chemicals
does not only need collaboration and partnership with
our industry peers, but also a holistic and integrated
approach.”
A road map going
somewhere
Nike - one of a number of major
companies commited to a Joint
Roadmap towards zero discharge
of hazardous chemicals.
CREDIT: NIKE