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Search On 20th – 22nd November, Thomas van Haaren, Senior Manager, Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative, attended and spoke at the “India and Sustainability Standards (ISS)” conference, which took place in New Delhi, India. Organised and hosted by the Centre for Responsible Business, ISS brought together over 700 thought leaders, experts, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss sustainability standards in the Indian context.
Thomas spoke on a panel entitled “Why Credibility Matters & What it Means to You” alongside representatives from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). The panellists spoke about how credible standards are critical to advance sustainability objectives especially in light of the creditability principles created by ISEAL. It is no longer enough to say you will solve a problem but rather you need to show and benchmark your results. They spoke of how if consumers, companies, or governments lose trust in the sustainability claims of standards, all standards suffer from a loss of credibility. Speakers also agreed that where possible, standards should take into account the local context and involve groups on the ground when calibrating their methods.
For the CGF, the event provided an important platform to engage with Indian companies & stakeholders on sustainability issues. India represents a huge market with clear sustainability opportunities and challenges. We hope to continue the conversation on credibility as we work to build trust in sustainability both in India and across the globe.
Find out more about the Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative here.
