Rattling Supply Chains

Rattling Supply Chains: The Effect of Environmental Trends on Input Costs for the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods Industry
By Kelly McCarthy on regulation

In recent years, the world has experienced a remarkable rise in the prices of vital commodities, including energy and agricultural products. For example, between 2006 and 2008, the average world price for oil rose by 110 percent, rice by 217 percent, wheat by 136 percent, maize by 125 percent, and soybeans by 107 percent. The resulting economic impact on firms, households, and entire economies has renewed attention to the scarcity of natural resources and the best way of managing them in the twenty-first century.

The world’s natural resources are under pressure, as approximately 60 percent of the benefits provided by natural ecosystems are being degraded or used unsustainably. As much as 20 percent of freshwater use exceeds the long-term sustainable supply, and between 15 and 35 percent of the withdrawal of water for irrigation is unsustainable, raising concerns about agricultural yields and costs. The current patterns of resource consumption are exemplified by the case of oil. North America and Europe consume more than 50 percent of this resource yet account for only 20 percent of the global population. At the same time, the growing populations of developing countries are realizing their desire for a better quality of life, which has led to increased consumption and thus greater demands on finite resources.

Measuring GHG Emissions Up and Down the Supply Chain

By Laura Pocknell on greenhouse gases

A new collaboration launches to develop guidelines for measuring and managing corporate GHG emissions throughout the product life cycle and across the entire value chain.

Three quarters of businesses' carbon emissions ignored

By James Murray on News

James Murray, BusinessGreen, Thursday 21 August 2008 at 10:55:00

Carnegie Mellon report claims firms failure to account for supply chain emissions means they are only measuring "carbon toeprints"

Despite growing efforts to measure their carbon emissions, almost 75 per cent of firms' carbon footprints are typically going unrecorded, according to a new study from Carnegie Mellon University....

Exports responsible for a third of China's carbon emissions

By BusinessGreen.com Staff on News

BusinessGreen.com Staff, BusinessGreen, Wednesday 13 August 2008 at 14:21:00

Third study this year claims Western firms responsible for sizable chunk of Chinese greenhouse gas emissions

The case for firms to address the carbon impact of their international supply chains has strengthened further following the publication of the third study in the last six weeks highlighting...

Broken supply chains hamper green efforts

By James Murray on News

James Murray, BusinessGreen, Tuesday 12 August 2008 at 11:36:00

A new report claims an absence of communication and oversight are slowing many firms' attempts to cut carbon emissions

Poor communication between different departments and partners are hampering efforts to cut the carbon emissions of many firms' global supply chains....

Firms urged to address international supply chain emissions

By James Murray on News

James Murray, BusinessGreen, Monday 4 August 2008 at 11:58:00

Booming imports mean UK carbon footprint is 49 per cent higher than official figures

Pressure on firms to assess the carbon footprint of their international supply chains looks set to increase, with the emergence of new evidence suggesting that despite falling domestic emissions of...