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MANUFACTURING & MATERIALS INNOVATION
C
SR at a glance
(see pages 22-23)
showed us that the concept
taken to its logical conclusion
is not just about offering good
working conditions for employees, but a
fundamental approach to business that
encompasses a totally responsible
approach in every facet of management
such that the enterprise operates to the
benefit of society and the environment
as a whole, as well as its customers and
shareholders. This is a complex task for
any organisation and, needless to say,
the larger it is and the more global its
operations, the more complex it
becomes.
There are bigger companies, not least
in the global footwear industry, but
American & Efird, to give one example
of an organisation with a keen focus on
CSR, is one of the largest producers of
industrial sewing threads in the world. It
has primary spinning, dyeing and
winding facilities in the US, China and
India. The final product is then supplied
to customers through 76 distribution
points in 41 countries spread right
across the world.
The company has been in business
since 1891 and its senior management
has pursued best practice in
environmental management and health
and safety in its own operations and in
those of business partners and suppliers
for years. It has done so with some
success as witnessed by the number of
Environmental Health and Safety (EHS)
awards it has garnered.
A&E’s CSR and sustainability policy
breaks down into a number of separate
headings or (appropriately) ‘threads’ to
provide a multifaceted approach to
environmental
stewardship
that
includes regular monitoring, analysis
and improvement. The company
publishes an annual sustainability
report covering each of these threads; it
is available for anyone to read.
GLOBAL CARBON
FOOTPRINT
All large manufacturing organisations
are capable of producing a substantial
carbon footprint. Like many such
companies, A&E recognises this and
has been working for some time to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
benchmarking the progress made. Fuel
burning and power consumption both
contribute to greenhouse gas. In the six
years to the end of 2011, the company
effectively reduced overall emissions of
greenhouse gases (GHG) by over 9%.
To
ensure
consistency
of
measurement, the Climate Registry’s
General Reporting Protocol (GRP) is
used. There are significant variations in
the technology and fuels used to
generate electricity in different parts of
the world, so these are identified and a
measurement of emissions is taken at
each manufacturing plant. This not only
provides an accurate overall picture but
also pinpoints plants that require
further action to be taken. A&E uses
this type of information when
considering engineering protocols,
equipment specifications and emerging
technology with the express purpose of
upgrading systems and further reducing
harmful emissions.
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WORLD FOOTWEAR | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
CSR and sustainability
CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM