2Sustain

Back in March, I wrote about McDonald’s new Sustainable Land Management Commitment (SLMC). Now, McDonald’s has extended this commitment even more by joining the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), an organization that promotes the growth and use of sustainable oil palm products through credible global standards and engagement of stakeholders.

As a result of its membership in the RSPO, McDonald’s says that by the end of this year, it will source palm oil only from RSPO member companies. By 2015, only RSPO-certified palm oil will be used in McDonald’s restaurants, pre-cooked chicken and potato products.

This new focus on palm oil comes after an analysis conducted as part of McDonald’s SLMC.  The company, in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), identified which of its raw materials have the most potential sustainability impacts. The list includes beef, poultry, coffee, fiber for packaging and palm oil –and so McDonald’s is going to center its attention on those areas. (more…)

Sustainable procurement initiatives. Mention those three words to someone in business, and you’re likely to start a conversation about one of two things: either programs to meet international regulatory requirements or strategies to drive domestic sales and marketing efforts. For a few savvy companies, however, sustainable procurement initiatives are starting to mean a lot more. These companies are going beyond the CSR side of green and finding that sustainable supply chains can also mean increased profits, decreased risks, and an overall enhancement of their position in today’s ultra-competitive marketplace.

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I just had the pleasure of participating on a conference call with Tim Cummins of the IACCM (International Association for Contract & Commercial Management ).  Tim is one of the most knowledgeable, thoughtful and articulate guys out there when it comes to the myriad of issues facing 21st century supply management and contracting professionals. Tim and I spoke at length about the complex new world of supply chain management in the face of globalization, increased regulation, distributed supply chains, and the resulting new risk factors that must be managed by 21st century executives. In particular we focused in on the reputational risks companies face if they get it wrong – as well as the benefits if they get it right.

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