与价值链合作伙伴合作，推动长期可持续发展

We live and work in an interconnected world, which is true for individuals and businesses alike. An organization’s influence does not begin and end within its walls, especially when it comes to 可持续发展 impacts and outcomes. Every link in a chain either contributes to or hampers progress towards an organization’s overall sustainability goals and a more sustainable future. 

Risk mitigation demands that companies remain accountable and transparent as they speak to their long-term roadmap. This requires a deep understanding of how every part of the business — including the suppliers and vendors that organizations partner with — potentially impacts overall risk. For instance, a company may ensure fair labor practices for all employees but rely on a supplier with a track record of human rights issues. This will present a high degree of long-term risk, which could include financially material consequences and a negative impact on brand reputation, if misaligned with the company’s stated values and goals. 

Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions classifications by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are a key consideration for how value chain partners can affect sustainability performance. Scope 1 and 2 emissions refer to a company’s direct greenhouse gas emissions and the emissions associated with its purchase of power or fuel. Scope 3 goes further, extending to the emissions from other segments of a business’s value chain. This includes suppliers, freight providers, and end-of-life partners, among others. Given climate science’s guidance that we must reach net zero by 2050, the most environmentally responsible companies recognize that they cannot stop at Scope 1 and 2 emissions; they need to set their sights on net zero by addressing Scope 3 emissions as well. 

These examples demonstrate how regulatory bodies, investors, and customers are now taking a broader view of a company’s sustainability performance. As companies build out their sustainability roadmaps and programs, they will need to team up with value chain partners to measure and assess their own sustainability metrics and environmental impacts. 

就目标和指标达成共识

In a previous post, we discussed how early in our sustainability journey at Flex, we were careful to prioritize the scope of initial activities. As a starting point, we focused on identifying facilities that we needed to track and collecting baseline environmental data. 

同样的方法也适用于与价值链合作伙伴的合作。在根据可持续性指标评估供应商和供货商时，第一步是衡量当前绩效，为未来目标制定奠定基础。 

It can take considerable time and resources to implement robust, reliable reporting systems for an organization, especially when including value chain partners. The key is to seek consensus with partners about the critical areas to track, while also being mindful of cost and resource limitations. Sharing best practices and learnings from the sustainability journey can also ease the way for value chain partners. In addition, companies can advise value chain partners on methodologies and metrics that will be easy to implement while setting a foundation that allows for future scalability. 

For example, if an organization works with smaller suppliers, it may not be reasonable to have them report to an intensive framework that is targeted towards larger, publicly traded companies. But it does make sense to establish a baseline reading of their emissions, water usage, and waste management to assess the business’s overall environmental impact. Another critical area is labor practices and ensuring that workers have access to safe working environments. 

At Flex, we collaborate with our preferred suppliers to participate in CDP’s environmental disclosure and scoring process because it is both cost-effective and appropriate for our shared goal of mitigating value chain emissions and reaching 到2040年温室气体净零排放此外，由于Flex多年来一直向CDP报告，我们可以指导我们的首选供应商完成整个流程，并分享我们数十年来可持续发展历程中的最佳实践。 

通过透明和沟通建立伙伴关系

Aligning with suppliers and vendors on sustainability goals isn’t about making demands. At Flex, we view our value chain partners as just that — partners who share our values, vision, and desire to improve lives and the world. 

By keeping in close communication with suppliers, vendors, and customers, businesses are better equipped to take next steps on their sustainability journey without running into unpleasant surprises, like discovering that a preferred supplier has a less than favorable environmental track record that will raise investors’ concerns. Working with suppliers and vendors who are excited about sustainability and take pride in their own sustainability performance will make for a smoother and stronger partnership. As environmental regulation continues to grow, having established relationships with trusted value chain partners will be vital. It is also important to acknowledge that sustainability is evolving every day, and we are learning together on this journey. We do not have all the answers, but through true partnerships, we can figure it out together. 

期待

Creating a more sustainable future demands action, accountability, and collaboration across governments, nonprofit organizations, companies, and communities. In the case of businesses, it also requires that we take a broad and critical view of our entire value chain and whether our partners are in alignment with our sustainability ethos and roadmap. 

在 Flex，我们积极与供应商、供应商和客户合作，不断努力使可持续性成为整个产品生命周期的一部分。无论是共同努力降低排放、减少浪费，还是确定正确的 逆向物流和循环经济售后服务 为了满足客户的需求，我们努力保持开放的沟通渠道和透明度。 

True partnership on a sustainability journey cannot be achieved without ensuring that the organizational partners and people in the business ecosystem are aligned on the same goals, vision, and overall mission to make the world a better place.