Archive for the ‘Supply Chain’ Category

Supply Chain

October 1, 2021

In June 2021, Global Affairs Canada released its enhanced due diligence guidance targeting forced labor and child labor risks in supply chains. The guidance primarily focuses on clothing and agricultural imports, given the well-documented vulnerabilities in these sectors. The guidance came at a time when the international scrutiny of Canadian importers was growing, and the […]

Supply Chain

September 15, 2021

India’s Ministry of Mines issued its Responsible Minerals Sourcing Guidelines in August 2021, marking a significant step in the country’s effort to align its mineral procurement practices with global expectations on conflict minerals. The guidelines target the responsible sourcing of tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold (3TG minerals), and they are already beginning to influence the […]

Supply Chain

September 1, 2021

The issuance of U.S. Executive Order 14017 in February 2021 signaled a pivotal moment in national industrial policy, mandating a comprehensive review of the semiconductor supply chain to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities. In the months following the Executive Order, both foundries and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have been under increasing pressure to map their supplier […]

Supply Chain

August 15, 2021

The EU Taxonomy Regulation, effective as of June 2020, introduced a transformative shift in how large corporations must categorize their economic activities with respect to sustainability. By 2021, as companies began grappling with the operational realities of compliance, supply-chain managers found themselves facing an increasingly complex landscape. The Regulation’s scope, though framed around environmental objectives […]

Supply Chain

August 1, 2021

Australia’s National Waste Policy Action Plan, published in December 2019, marked a significant turning point in the country’s approach to waste reduction and resource recovery. As part of its strategic objectives, the Plan established a clear mandate for consumer-goods companies to engage with circular economy principles, with a strong focus on reducing packaging waste, increasing […]

Supply Chain

July 1, 2021

The enforcement of the EU Directive on single-use plastics from July 3, 2021 marked a turning point in the regulation of packaging materials and their environmental footprint across the bloc. For retailers, the Directive introduced both compliance challenges and opportunities to enhance packaging supply-chain transparency through systematic tracking and disclosure. Retailers were called upon to […]

Supply Chain

July 1, 2021

The passage of the 2020 U.S. Farm Bill in December 2020 introduced significant measures to enhance supply chain traceability for critical agricultural commodities, particularly dairy and soybean products. Among the reforms was a strengthened mandate for transparency in crop insurance data, which aimed to provide greater visibility into indemnity payments, yield trends, and farm-level production […]

Supply Chain

June 15, 2021

The release of India’s Draft National Logistics Policy in December 2020 signaled a significant shift in the country’s approach to modernizing its supply chains, with a strong emphasis on digital integration and transparency. A core feature of the policy was the advancement of open freight data initiatives, aimed at streamlining containerized cargo movements and enhancing […]

Supply Chain

May 1, 2021

The U.K. Future Generations Bill, introduced in draft form in November 2020, aims to weave long-term sustainability into the fabric of public policy. Although the bill was still making its way through Parliament during 2021, its draft guidance was already shaping how public procurement frameworks were evolving and how businesses, especially SMEs, were positioning themselves […]

Supply Chain

April 15, 2021

The 2021 National Defense Authorization Act marked another step in the ongoing attempt to untangle U.S. defense supply chains from strategic dependencies that could compromise national security. Nowhere is this more visible than in the field of rare earth elements (REEs). These critical minerals underpin everything from missile guidance systems to communications gear. And yet, […]

Supply Chain

April 1, 2021

The adoption of the EU Taxonomy Regulation’s delegated acts in April 2021 represented a turning point in how financial institutions are expected to engage with sustainability within their portfolios. While the taxonomy itself had been in force since mid-2020, these delegated acts added the critical operational detail necessary for firms to begin aligning their lending […]

Supply Chain

March 15, 2021

The introduction of Canada’s Sustainable Jobs Act, known as Bill C-12, back in June 2020 set the stage for a legislative framework that aims to guide the country through the complexities of a just transition toward a low-carbon economy. While the bill is still pending passage, the expectations it has already generated are shaping decisions […]