Responsible Sourcing and Ethical Trade Forum
This two-day business forum will assess how companies can develop and implement robust human rights due diligence and responsible sourcing policies. We’ll look in-depth into the practical implications of evolving legislation and what this means for business operations and the future of (ethical) trade. 
 
Through off-the-record debate, we plan to challenge the current status quo, debate the limitations in current approaches and assess the opportunities for genuine transformation. Whilst maintaining a focus on real-world solutions, we’ll ask what’s working, what’s not and what’s next for business and human rights.   

Speakers

Sarah Schaefer

Electrolux

Vice-President Sustainability

Rachel Cowburn-Walden

Unilever

Global Human Rights Director

Julie Vallat

L'Oréal

VP Human Rights

Sam Ludlow Taylor

John Lewis Partnership

Partner & Senior Manager, Human Rights Programmes

Peter McAllister

Ethical Trading Initiative

Executive Director

Julia Thimm

Tchibo

Senior Manager Sustainability - Human Rights

Francis West

Tetra Pak

Director of Social Sustainability

Aisha Aswani

Co-op

Senior Human Rights & Ethical Trade Manager

View all speakers

Agenda highlights

  • Time to challenge the status quo: What’s working, what’s not, and what’s next for business and human rights?
  • Evolving legislation and enforcement: How business can navigate the global legislative landscape 
  • Supply chain risk mapping: The leading tools and practices to identify, assess and monitor human rights risk
  • Grievance mechanisms: How to overcome the barriers to effective access to remedy
  • ESG: So, how do investors consider human rights risk in decision making? 
  • Multi-stakeholder alignment: How to integrate worker perspectives and trade unions into decision-making 
  • Living wage: What’s still standing in the way of brands implementing living wage initiatives, at scale? 
  • Mandatory due diligence: How to integrate HRDD into business strategy to proactively identify, prevent and mitigate supply chain risk
  • The road to responsible procurement: Beyond compliance, how can procurement leaders play their part?
  • Climate action and human rights: What do we really mean by a ‘just transition’ and how can business effectively integrate human rights into climate action plans?
  • Responsible recruitment: How to protect migrant workers and vulnerable people from the point of recruitment
  • Worker voice solutions: Beyond pilots, how can we develop approaches that are effective, standardised and can scale? 
  • Beyond traditional due diligence tools: Uncovering alternatives that deliver and work in practice.
View full agenda

Why attend?

Discover best practices from industry leaders and get in-depth guidance on how to effectively implement policies

Meet & network with an influential audience of key stakeholders, including NGOs, business, government and supply chain actors

Benchmark company performance amongst a room of your peers and discover where you should be focusing efforts

What's new at the Responsible Sourcing and Ethical Trade Forum 2024?

A challenge to the status quo
This is a critical juncture for business and human rights. There is a very real opportunity to utilise legislative pressure to transform business practices and approaches. Throughout the conference, we won’t shy away from the difficult questions. We’ll debate how we can ensure this really is a turning point and assess what that means in practice for business. 

Practical, focused problem solving
We’re taking a number of breakout sessions and revamping the format to utilise the full extent of the expertise in the room. We'll deliver real problem solving that tackles the critical business challenges and provides clear and practical outputs 
The 4th room
We’re adding an additional safe space for discussion on some of the unspoken truths in ethical trade and human rights. In these off-the-record sessions, there are no speakers. Instead, we’ll ask attendees to share mistakes and freely speak their minds as we have a pragmatic, honest and potentially disruptive conversation about the future.

More networking, more connections
With increased schmoosing time, more side events and better networking options, we’re ensuring there’s the opportunity to make the connections that matter and build the partnerships that can really make a difference.
"Engaging and PowerPoint-free panel discussions has proven to be a brilliant way to bring multiple perspectives to the current hot topics and what’s on the horizon."
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'I have attended quite a few conferences this year and very much enjoyed the focus that IF brings, and the franker conversation facilitated by the Chatham House rule, so much appreciated'
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Highly informative, lively debate, thoroughly relevant to those involved in the sustainability agenda. 
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"This was one of the best organized conferences I’ve participated on, thank you for your attention to detail, it really made a difference."
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"The conference was very valuable use of my time; increasing my network, reminding me of some key areas of focus to consider and learning from others."
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What’s different about this forum?

Innovation Forum is:
  • Candid: Entirely off-the-record discussion that enables open and honest disclosure from speakers and genuine participation from the audience.
  • Practical: A clear focus on the practical and actionable guidance that can drive change throughout industries and supply chains.
  • Focused: We provide enough time, resources and expertise to the issues that really matter. We don’t skate the surface, but get to the crux of the issues to provide in-depth, constructive discussion.
Innovation Forum is NOT:
  • A PR platform: Enthusiastic speakers are NOT given free rein to fill a session presenting their companies, allowing no time to actually get to the crux of the issues.
  • A talking shop: This is NOT an opportunity for a group people in a room to simply agree with everything said, regardless of outcomes.
  • All promise, no delivery: We will NOT promise what we can’t deliver. The issues covered are complex. They won’t be solved at a two-day conference. But we will help deliver progress through in-depth, constructive and practical advice around specific issues.

Who attends

Target
McDonald’s
Mondelēz International
Mars
Danone
Tony's Chocolonely
ASOS
Nestlé
Philip Morris International
Walgreens Boots Alliance
amfori
Control Union
Oxfam
John Lewis Partnership
Reckitt
Inter IKEA Group
Marks & Spencer
The Hershey Company
Diageo
IDH
G's Fresh
L'Oréal
Bonsucro
BSI
Earthworm Foundation
ALDI
Anti-Slavery International
Principles for Responsible Investment
Sky
Unseen

The venue


Prospero House

241 Borough High Street

London
SE11GA
United Kingdom

More details

Supported by

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Stay updated and get full details on the conference

Get in touch

For any questions on the conference, please contact:

Natasha Bodnar
Project Director
[email protected]

Sign up

Registration for the Responsible Sourcing and Ethical Trade forum is currently open. To sign up, you can do so online here, or get in touch directly for details of group discounts. 

Sponsorship

For more information and to inquire, please contact:

Gabriela Cuison
Business Development Manager

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