Issue 27 – June 2023
Welcome to the June issue of the Fast Forward Newsletter
Fast Forward News
Stronger Together
Industry and Legislative News – ALL SECTORS
- EU: European Parliament’s vote for new corporate due diligence legislation
- OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct updates
- Unseen’s Annual Assessment 2022 published
Apparel and General Merchandise
Waste and Recycling
We want to hear from you! Share your feedback and requests for inclusions in this publication or any other part of the programme. Contact us today!
The Fast Forward Team
FAST FORWARD NEWS
New Standard Updates from 1 July 2023
Attention SEP Suppliers and Brands! We are pleased to inform you that the 13-minute video highlighting the latest updates to the Fast Forward Standards is now available on your Dashboard. Presented by Hannah Newcomb, Co-CEO of Stronger Together, this informative video will help you stay ahead!
Engage and Empower
Supplier (SEP) Training Sessions
Supplier Engagement Programme (SEP) training sessions are now open for booking through your Dashboard. Take advantage of this opportunity to benefit from ongoing professional development and stay up-to-date with the evolving standards and practices. The next available session is scheduled for Thursday, 22 June.
From 25 July, both Brand and Supplier members can join – with dedicated time at the end for separate Brand and Supplier breakout sessions to discuss questions, challenges and opportunities in a peer-to-peer space.
To explore the full agenda of this training session, click here.
Stronger Together – Taking Stock
For those of you that could not make the Stronger Together 10 Year Event and premiere of the Tackling Labour Exploitation in the Warehousing Sector video, it is now available. Called ‘Taking Stock’, this fictional film is based on real-life case studies and addresses exploitation and forced labour in UK warehousing.
Has the above video prompted you to think about potential warehousing risks in your own supply chain? Stronger Together are holding a series of events to support your business.
5 July, from 11-12 – launch webinar for Labour Exploitation in UK Warehousing. Join to hear from experts about the risks of modern slavery in the sector and to understand the free resources which are now available. FREE WEBINAR – Register here
12 July, 9.30-3pm – Interactive 1 day workshop TICKETS £234 + VAT – Agenda and Bookings
LEGISLATIVE AND INDUSTRY NEWS
EU: European Parliament’s vote for new corporate due diligence legislation should strengthen human rights
In a crucial step towards reinforcing human rights protections, the European Parliament has recently voted in favour of new corporate due diligence legislation. This legislation aims to ensure that businesses operating within the EU prioritise and uphold human rights standards throughout their supply chains. The vote signifies a powerful commitment towards holding corporations accountable for their actions and fostering a culture of responsibility.
2023 Updates: OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct
The OECD recommendations are jointly addressed by governments to multinational enterprises to enhance the business contribution to sustainable development and address adverse impacts associated with business activities on people, planet, and society.
The revised Guidelines were released on 8 June with key updates including:
- Recommendations for enterprises to align with internationally agreed goals on climate change and biodiversity
- Recommendations on how enterprises are expected to conduct due diligence on impacts and business relationships related to the use of their products and services
- Better protection for at-risk persons and groups, including those who raise concerns regarding the conduct of businesses
- Updated recommendations on disclosure of responsible business conduct information
Unseen’s Annual Assessment 2022 published
Unseen, the organisation operating the Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline in the UK, has released its annual assessment which helps shed light on the various aspects of labour exploitation prevalent in the UK. Key insights include:
- 47% increase in modern slavery-related calls (vs 2021) – busiest year to date
- 116% increase in potential victims of modern slavery (vs 2021) – 90% are adults
- 134% increase in labour exploitation cases reported (vs 2021), representing 40% of all modern slavery cases reported in 2022.
£4m project seeks to automate textile recycling
The UK Fashion & Textile Association (UKFT) has launched a £4m project to pilot an automated sorting and pre-processing service for waste textiles. The trade body said the Autosort for Circular Textiles Demonstrator (ACT UK) would be a two-year project to support the transition from manual sorting to an automated system, making more used textiles available as feedstock for recycling.
Scotland to set local recycling targets
under circular economy laws
Under the Bill, ministers would gain powers to set local recycling targets, set statutory targets for delivery of a circular economy, ban the disposal of unsold consumer goods – to prevent them ending up in landfill – and to place charges on single-use items such as coffee cups.
Circular economy minister Lorna Slater (pictured) said: “The Circular Economy Bill will give local councils and the Scottish Government the powers they need to transform our economy and tackle throwaway culture.” Slater said the best way to reduce waste was “not create it in the first place” and that the Bill would encourage the growth of green businesses and community organisations.
Just Good Work
Just Good Work is a free, interactive mobile app giving jobseekers and workers from the UK or abroad critical information and advice on recruitment and employment. The Fast Forward audit requires businesses to display the Just Good Work poster.
Posters are available to download for free in nine languages from the Fast Forward website: Albanian, Bulgarian, English, Croatian, Gujarati, Polish, Romanian, Serbian and Ukrainian.
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