By SkySite Property staff

Intertek Sustainability Solutions released its Ethical Sourcing Report 2008, which features articles that address ethical sourcing issues, reports on industry trends and perspectives from industry leaders whom recently exchanged views on opportunities for advancement with a broad cross section of stakeholders at the Ethical Sourcing Forum held in New York City in March.

The ESF, held annually in North America, Europe and Asia, is recognized as a leading global industry platform for exchange on opportunities for ethical sourcing advancement by global business leaders and industry stakeholders. It is an action-oriented, continuous learning industry initiative, open to those willing to play an active role in the development and successful implementation of sustainable social and environmental supply chain practices.

Key findings addressed in the Ethical Sourcing Report 2008:

• A growing awareness of corporate social responsibility requirements is a recent positive development in ethical sourcing.
• Unrealistic buyer/supplier expectations continue to be a negative factor in the ethical sourcing debate.
• Tailor-made capacity building on a factory-by-factory basis has proven to be an effective approach to ensuring that corporate values filter down the chain.
• Socially-responsible companies don't claim to have all the answers but are building public trust through authenticity about the issues and continuous focus on raising the bar.
• The engagement of civil society groups and corporations in constructive dialogue has engendered a better understanding of the issues and cohesive efforts to improve conditions through win-win solutions.
• Companies are starting to train buyers on sustainable procurement internally and factory performance in CSR is a deciding factor in awarding business.
• Most companies have not developed procedures to determine the measurable impact of ethical sourcing programs and CSR initiatives on business operations.
• Suppliers and management at some factories are taking ownership of the issues to get their factories up to standards.

“As facilitators of the international Ethical Sourcing Forums over the past eight years, we are all too familiar with the complex challenges facing organizations interested in taking their ethical sourcing efforts to a new level,” said Andre Raghu, Intertek’s sustainability solutions president.

The greatest challenge an organization faces is how to focus its sustainability commitment where they will produce the greatest measurable impact, Raghu said.

Copies of the Ethical Sourcing report are available for purchase from Intertek Sustainability Solutions. To purchase the report click here.

The next ESF will be on Oct. 2 in Paris at the Tapis Rouge. To register for ESF Europe, visit Intertek.