UNIDO has released a white paper titled 'Accelerating and Scaling-up Collective Action for Sustainable Supply Chains'. The paper was officially launched on November 2nd, during the Third International Convention on Sustainable Trade and Standards held in New Delhi, India. 

Sustainability-driven regulations are gaining momentum worldwide. This is giving rise to a range of issues that will reshape supply chains in the coming years.  

Building on an Expert Group Meeting hosted by UNIDO in June 2023, the white paper captures insights and experiences from the private sector, international organizations, governments, academia, and civil society. It takes stock of major international policy developments and explores the opportunities and challenges these emerging regulations present, particularly for industrializing countries.  

UNIDO's Director General, Gerd Müller, emphasized that ensuring sustainability in supply chains is a collective responsibility, "this publication is a call to action: a jumping-off point for joint efforts towards fair supply chains." 

In addition to providing a key resource for policy makers and stakeholders, UNIDO’s white paper identifies four priorities to accelerate supply chain sustainability: 

1. Scale-up collective action, by strengthening inclusive dialogue to identify and coordinate the implementation of shared solutions. 

2. Provide country-driven systemic support to address the root causes of unsustainable supply chains, while fostering regulatory harmonization and alignment with international standards. 

3. Document and disclose the impacts of new sustainability-driven regulations, building a strong evidence base to inform policies and interventions. 

4. Facilitate the transition towards sustainable business models, with a focus on ESG preparedness and performance throughout supply chains. 

Müller reaffirmed UNIDO’s commitment to collaborating on these priorities with partners and stakeholders at the global, regional, and local levels, with a view to bringing impact to scale. 

At the launch event at the Third International Convention on Sustainable Trade and Standards, Mr. Jaxay Shah, Chairman of the Quality Council of India, welcomed UNIDO's timely white paper, stating, “I support the action points in UNIDO’s white paper. We must join forces and align our efforts to enhance sustainability in global value chains, ensuring our industries are well prepared and that no one is left behind." 

Download the white paper.

For further information contact: PST@unido.org 

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