Global Logistics and Supply Chain Strategies - September 2008 - (Page 18)

involved, companies have been adopting better supply chain visibility technology, embracing multi-sourcing strategies and crafting performance-based relationships with suppliers. Visit www.amrresearch.com. WTO Talks Collapse, But Most of World Still Supports International Trade, Says Pew Research Center This summer saw the collapse of the Doha round of trade liberalization talks under the auspices of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Still, support for trade remains strong in many parts of the world, “at least in general terms.” So says the Global Attitudes Project of the Pew Research Center. Its 2008 survey found majorities in all 24 nations surveyed in support of increased international trade and economic integration. That was true even in the U.S., where public support for trade continues to decline. According to Pew, 53 percent of Americans now say that trade is good for their country, down from 59 percent last year and 78 percent in 2002. “Support for trade is lower in the U.S. than in any other country included in the survey,” Pew says. In fact, the period between 2002 and 2008 has generally been marked by decreases in enthusiasm for trade, but when the U.S. is subtracted from the equation, the result is somewhat more positive. People in many other countries, including Poland, Spain, Brazil and Nigeria, have grown slightly more supportive of trade. Other countries where support has eroded include Mexico, Jordan, Turkey and Argentina. Feelings grow more negative when the scenario is personal; Pew says people seem less enthusiastic about increasing trade when it has a direct impact on them and their families. Some of the concern appears to stem from worries about the safety of products from China. “Relatively few believe products made in China are as safe as those made elsewhere,” Pew says. Visit www.pewglobal.org. Supply Chain Executives Are Sending Mixed Messages About Their Support for Sustainability Efforts There seems little doubt among supply chain executives that “green” issues will have a big impact on transportation and logistics over the next three years. Some 90 percent of the 500-plus individuals surveyed by eyefortransport believe that to be that case. But just how committed they are to a green agenda and true sustainability is another question. In the eyefortransport survey, 9 percent named green issues as the number-one corporate priority, while just 1 percent believe they will lessen in importance. Factors driving the push for green include financial return on investment, public-relations payback, improved customer relations, decreased fuel bills and improved supply chain efficiency. With transportation and logistics accounting for up to 75 percent of a company’s carbon footprint, there appears to be a growing focus on this area of operations. Collaboration with suppliers, partners and logistics providers is seen as vital. According to eyefortransport, 20.5 percent of respondents are using a logistics or service partner to help green their supply chains, and an additional 26 percent are considering the addition of a partner company to advance environmental initiatives. Similar attitudes can be found in another recent study on supply chain sustainability, this one from Ernst & Young. It found 63 percent of respondents viewing sustainability as an opportunity for revenue growth, and 71 percent believing that green issues will have the greatest impact on reputation and brand identity. At the same time, only 12 percent of firms rated green issues among their top three supply chain priorities, and only 35 percent have begun to measure their carbon footprints in any way. (Another 50 percent claim to have “imminent” plans to do so.) “This may be indicative of the mixed messages businesses are receiving from governments, regulators and consumers,” the Ernst & Young report says. “While concrete legislation lags behind government rhetoric on emissions reduction targets, a significant gulf exists between consumers’ green claims and their actual purchasing behavior.” Visit www.eyefortransport.com and www.ey.com. 18 SEPTEMBER 2008 http://www.amrresearch.com http://www.pewglobal.org http://www.ey.com http://www.eyefortransport.com

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Global Logistics and Supply Chain Strategies - August 2008 Contents Editorial GL&SCS Exclusive Fast Forward Up Front Cover Story: Free The Enterprise: Busting Silos in the Supply Chain Business Process Management Merits New Look fromCorporate Strategists Ships and Ports Explore Many Ways to Go Green The Right Information Should Help Avoid Any Kind of Risk Industry Voices

Global Logistics and Supply Chain Strategies - September 2008

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