The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) launched the report Building Resilience in Global Supply Chains, co-authored by ERM.
Released during the COP21 Climate Summit in Paris, “Building Resilience in Global Supply Chains” is designed to raise awareness and trigger discussions among businesses of the potential climate change risks to global supply chains and how to build resilience.
The report highlights, through case studies in contrasting sectors, the lessons to be learnt across business activities and different kinds of supply chain. The case studies focus on two specific supply chains: corn production in the US for the beverage industry and lithium for electric car batteries. The cases studies are presented in the context of our analysis of global supply chains and the development of climate change. This presents the changing risk landscape, illustrated with recent examples from around the world and examples of how supply chain risk is typically managed, describing the relationship between adaptation and resilience.
We conclude with broadly applicable resilience measures, based on the lessons from the case studies as well as the existing literature and the experience of WBCSD companies. The watchwords are understanding, flexibility and collaboration. Finally we have developed a guide to action companies can take to strengthen their supply chains in the face of the threats from climate change.
WBCSD members ERM and DNV GL have been instrumental in leading this work with the wider WBCSD membership.
