Manufacturers missing out on sustainability benefits: Report

When asked if their business viewed sustainability obligations as presenting a net opportunity, nearly half (49%) of all respondents to the survey conducted by the law firm Pinsent Masons said yes, with only 19% viewing it as a burden. However, the report goes on to reveal that despite this, a huge 54% do not include sustainability as part of their contractual relationships with suppliers. Nearly all companies surveyed have an ethical code of conduct embracing sustainability and expected their suppliers to meet sustainability requirements but relatively few were able to confirm that those requirements were reflected in their buying terms. The law firm's Gordon McCreath said positive sustainability action could give businesses a competitive edge and while this was recognised by the manufacturing industry, the majority of manufacturers were not yet holding their suppliers responsible for their role in bringing this about. The full research report – which covers the evolving legal landscape of manufacturing, looking at international and compliance issues as well as sustainability – is being distributed to the managing directors of the top 4,000 UK manufacturing companies. For more information or an electronic copy of the report, please go to: www.pinsentmasons.com/Default.aspx?page=16