Discuss the challenges of sustainable supply chains for chemical companies

On September 20, 19 Indian chemical companies gathered in Mumbai for the TFs summit. More than 500 representatives from suppliers, TFs member companies, local and international associations, international audit firms and experts attended the summit, which raised awareness of the importance of building a sustainable supply chain in the chemical industry. Participants committed themselves to creating a sustainable supply chain in the chemical industry.

Suppliers, representatives of TFs member companies, local and international associations and NGOs discussed the challenges of a sustainable supply chain for the chemical industry.

When TFs was officially launched in India, India’s chemical industry ranked sixth in the world and third in Asia at constant prices. With the support of the government and the “made in India” initiative, India is close to becoming a world manufacturing center. As a result, the business activities of all organizations have become more global and the supply chain has become more complex. Given the important role played by the chemical industry in various areas, including automotive, pharmaceutical, textile and even manufacturing industries, consistency with sustainability will help the industry drive innovation and growth engines. It is here that the TFs initiative has taken the lead in corporate responsibility by creating benchmarks for sustainable supply chains.

Since its inception, the sustainability performance of more than 5500 chemical companies has been rated in the TFs program based on ecovadis assessment, and 580 TFs audits have been conducted worldwide. The initiative plans to establish benchmarks in the supply chain that cover all sustainability pillars and provide relevant long-term benefits for businesses and their suppliers. In 2015, TFs members shared 2580 sustainability assessments and TFs initiative received 179 new TFs audit reports. In India, 300 suppliers have been evaluated through ecovadis and 28 sites have been audited.

Founded in 2011, TFs has tripled its membership in the past five years and has 19 leading chemical companies committed to it. The initiative is based on good practice and established principles, such as the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and the Charter of global responsible care, as well as standards developed by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the international organization for Standardization (ISO), Social Accountability International (SAI) and other organizations.