Category: Blog

Sarah and Michael nestled into their breakfast nook on a crisp spring morning in a quaint English town. They sipped tea. Nibbled on freshly toasted muffins. And admired how the morning sun pierced through the tentacled branches of the old oak tree in the garden. Sarah watched the four gardeners packing away their equipment and marvelled at the productivity of morning people. Michael remarked how physically demanding the job must be and how he’s often seen bruises and scars from their labours. Sarah admired their lean figures and wished she could combine her desk job and gym time. Finally, Michael strolled into the yard and tried to pay one of them cash. Tom was the only who spoke English, he stepping in, thanked Michael for the payment and apologised that Edward didn’t speak English. Michael confirmed their next booking, while Sarah locked the door and they both left to start their daily commute.

Edward needed money to pay for his daughter’s schooling. So, he accepted an offer to work in maintenance and gardening in the UK. He worked hard for long hours and finished jobs well. But Edward was never paid. He was imprisoned. He was beaten. He only ate bread and butter. He had his passport confiscated. His money was stolen, and he was sold for a mere three hundred pounds. Edward eventually escaped. A charity group gave him clothes, food, a bed and helped him get a new passport. But most importantly, he now has hope, dignity and freedom.

Edward is a real person. You can read his story here.

The overwhelming recent feedback on corporate action on modern slavery is that business has hit a wall. Like many complex problems eradicating modern slavery will not be fast or easy. Fatigue can be the biggest enemy of justice. But the outcome is too important to give up. The 50 million Edwards of the world need us.

Here are some suggested next steps for different stages:

‘We’ve got so much data from surveys and no time or skill to analyse it.’

Watch this space for an online workshop to help turn your data into insights. We welcome all suggestions for upcoming events. This one came from an attendee of our recent workshop series on remediation of modern slavery.

‘We have updated our contracts, trained our staff and promoted our grievance mechanism.’
Great! Start working on your remediation plan for when you find your first case and also start to train your supply chain.

‘We found a case of modern slavery and my company cut the supplier loose. I don’t think the rights holder received any remedy. We just protected our company’s risk. It makes me feel sick.’

Use this incident to start a difficult conversation on improving your remediation plan. Companies that are School Fellows can use their complimentary School workshops to work trough this issue.

‘I did the e-learning modules on modern slavery last year. What should I do now?’

That’s why we scale our learning resources on all our topic areas from ‘beginner’ to ‘leader’. Scroll down to what level you’re on now, and then keep scrolling to the next level and see what’s there for you to progress.

‘I never find the time to read stuff.’

We cater for a variety of learning types. If you can’t read easily or don’t like to learn by reading, then try watching videos, or listening to podcasts or recordings. If you like to learn by doing try out our series of e-learning modules and puzzles.

People who buy for a living have been on the sustainable procurement journey for years. They understand the benefits for their organisation’s profit, as well as the social and environmental benefits.

The organisational and personal retail journeys are different. The quantity purchased, the relationship between parties and the scope are influence are some of those differences. However, one element is common, choice. Making the right choice can make a huge impact overall.

The retail industry has a massive burden guiding sustainable consumption and helping consumers make better choices. Retail purchases can contribute to environmental degradation through the depletion of natural resources, the production of waste, and the emission of greenhouse gases. Retailers can enable consumers to reduce their carbon footprint and limit their contribution to environmental degradation. Sustainable retail purchases can also have a positive impact on society by supporting fair labour practices, promoting social equality, and supporting local communities. By supplying products that are certified as fair trade, organic, or ethical, retailers ensure that the products are produced under fair working conditions, with fair pay and without exploiting vulnerable communities.

Here are my tips on how to enable a sustainable retail experience:

1. Label products that are made with sustainable materials, recycled materials, cruelty-free and not tested on animals.
2. Reduce packaging on your product portfolio to reduce waste.
3. Offer products that have eco-friendly certifications such as Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, or GECA.
4. Offer products with a long lifespan.
5. Offer products that are energy-efficient.

Sustainable retail purchases have the potential to reduce negative environmental impacts, promote social equality, and support a sustainable economy. By making conscious and informed purchasing decisions, consumers can help to promote sustainable practices and create a better future for themselves and future generations. Thankfully the School is there to help, providing free online training and information to retail employees and for consumers. Sign up today for free and start learning.

The property industry is in mid-transformation. Humanity and environmental responsibility are returning to the supply chain. Tenants and owners are asking for it. Developers are specifying it. Architects and Engineers are designing for it. Builders are bidding to materialise it. And property services teams are gearing up to maintain it. But desire has not always metamorphosed into value. Along the supply chain, customers are asking suppliers to accept the same or less remuneration and be more. More ethical. More responsible. More collaborative. More environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.

The property services industry is no stranger to this. Leaders are investing in third-party certification of environmental claims. Leaders are investing in third-party certification of services. Leaders are investing in eradicating modern slavery from the industry. Leaders are investing in collaborations like becoming Fellows of the School. These investments must be funded by increased sales to remain sustainable. Do more. Earn more. It’s the only way to stop property services from degrading into property servitude.

It would be easy to blame others for this trend. However, the social change that is needed to change this value chain starts with each and every one of us.

The National Retail Association forecast Australians will spend a total of $60.6 billion throughout the Christmas trade period, with the last ten days to Christmas expected to top 2021 figures by 3.9%.

I hope that this increase in spending is sustainable, ethical and consciously considering the true impact of each buying decision.
I hope because every dollar we spend will impact us well after the bills are paid.
I hope because our choices thus far have not resulted in great outcomes. This year…

• Humanity used all the biological resources that Earth regenerates during the entire year by 28 July, and if all humans consumed like Australians, that date would have been 23 March. {link}
• The 2022 Circularity Gap Report revealed we only cycle 8.6% of what we use. In 1972, as the Club of Rome’s report Limits to Growth was published, the world consumed 28.6 billion tonnes. By 2019, it surpassed 100 billion tonnes. Rising waste levels are accompanying the rapid acceleration of consumption.
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report noted climate trends and extreme events have combined with exposure and vulnerabilities to cause major impacts for many natural systems, with some experiencing or at risk of irreversible change in Australia and in New Zealand. Socioeconomic costs arising from climate variability and change have increased.
• The Australian Government 2021 State of the Environment report was released in July 2022, and its overview is depressing. “Overall, the state and trend of the environment of Australia are poor and deteriorating as a result of increasing pressures from climate change, habitat loss, invasive species, pollution and resource extraction.”
• In July, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released findings that “over two in five Australians aged 16-85 years (43.7% or 8.6 million people) had experienced a mental disorder at some time in their life”
• In 2022 Walk Free released new Global Slavery Index figures showing 49.6 million people live in modern slavery. 1 in 4 are children. 54% are women and girls. Find out how many slaves work for you.

I hope we can be more transparent, collaborative, and empathetic and make better choices.