Sustainability LIVE Singapore: Sustainable Supply Chains
At Sustainability LIVE Singapore four senior leaders shared their perspectives on sustainable supply chains.
Representing a cross-section of industries and regions, the panellists included:
- Clare Woodford, VP of Sustainability and Impact at Alpine Group
- Kelsey Deutscher, Supply Chain Performance Leader at TasNetworks
- Kanishk Negi, Sustainability Procurement Director at Schneider Electric
- Maureen O'shea, Sustainability & Supply Chain Partner at Baringa
Moderator Neil Perry began by asking what a truly sustainable supply chain looks like and why it matters now more than ever.
Clare outlined the urgency within fashion.
“The fashion industry produces 10% of global carbon emissions,” she said, “as much as the emissions generated by the EU.”
Citing textile waste, microfibre pollution and exploitative labour, she made the case for change across every link in the chain – from raw materials and factory conditions to circular design.
Kelsey highlighted the unique context of operating a utility business in Tasmania, where local expectations and long asset lifespans shape sustainability goals.
“For me, it's taking that life cycle cost view,” she said. “What we can do to reuse, recycle at the back end once that 60-70 year lifespan has expired.”
For Kanishk, sustainability is about moving beyond cost and compliance.
“It tries to ascertain the true cost paid in terms of the benefits and services extracted from the ecosystem,” he said, pointing to Schneider Electric’s focus on supplier decarbonisation, human rights and circularity.
Maureen summed it up succinctly.
“The ones that are really making a difference are engaging right the way upstream,” she said. “That’s the real game changer – taking your intent and multiplying it across 10, 20, 100 companies.”
Driving impact and value at scale
The panel then explored how sustainable supply chains deliver not just environmental and social benefits, but also commercial returns.
For Kelsey, the benefits at TasNetworks are clear.
“We source from local businesses. Our focus on green and local actually benefits our community directly and our suppliers.”
Kanishk shared tangible proof from Schneider Electric’s Zero Carbon Project. Suppliers who took simple steps – like fixing energy leaks – saw operational savings without major investment.
“Just tightening up the screws in their routine operations gave them direct savings,” he said.
He also pointed to wider benefits: protection from energy market volatility, enhanced human rights performance and stronger positioning for tenders.
“Sustainability now is the differentiator when you have a like-for-like comparison,” he said.
Clare echoed the importance of linking sustainability to business success.
“We’re making a lot of investments – decarbonisation, circularity, social compliance – and we’re asking our brand partners how that translates to sourcing decisions.”
Her goal? To ensure that supplier excellence in sustainability is recognised with more business.
Maureen underlined how early movers gain a long-term edge.
“There will be more carbon taxes, tariffs and regulatory pressure. Getting ahead of the curve futureproofs the business.”
Facing up to the barriers and breaking them down
But embedding sustainability across global supply chains comes with real challenges. The panel didn’t shy away from naming them.
For Kanishk, the mindset is the first barrier.
“There’s an overarching belief that sustainability is costly and non-essential,” he said.
Another problem is communication – either too complex for practitioners, or too simplistic to drive meaningful action.
“The sweet spot is when people can speak both the business and technical languages.”
Maureen agreed, stressing the importance of capability building. She shared a successful project where a client developed tailored playbooks for each supplier category, from textiles to logistics, helping them understand exactly what levers to pull.
Clare highlighted internal and external education as a critical hurdle – particularly with diverse workforces across Jordan, India, Sri Lanka and China.
“We had to go back to the drawing board to engage suppliers on why we’re asking for data, not just what.”
Kelsey added the challenge of compliance expectations for small local suppliers.
“A company that employs ten people just isn’t resourced to accommodate lengthy questionnaires and policy uploads,” she said. TasNetworks’ approach? Hands-on support and training to keep those vendors engaged and competitive.
Making partnerships, not demands
Audience questions turned to the practicalities of supplier engagement. How can organisations ensure their suppliers are truly adopting sustainable practices?
The panel stressed partnership over punishment.
“You need a mix of carrot and stick,” said Maureen. “Audits matter. But so does capability building.” She recommended platforms like EcoVadis for standardised reporting and supplier development programmes to bridge gaps.
Clare added that constant audits in fashion can be counterproductive.
“We faced 40 audits in one year across three facilities. That gives you 12 weeks to actually create meaningful change.” Her solution – long-term partnerships based on transparency and mutual trust.
Kanishk warned against ‘armchair generals’ who send requirements but don’t engage.
“Be in the trenches with your suppliers,” he urged. “Share best practices, co-develop solutions, embed sustainability into procurement governance.”
Kelsey shared how this hands-on model plays out at TasNetworks. “We're working directly one-on-one with our suppliers. Even if it doesn’t change their work today, it builds community knowledge for the future.”
Sustainable doesn’t have to mean expensive
The final discussion tackled a long-standing myth – that sustainable supply chains are costlier.
Kanishk dismantled that idea with real-world examples.
“We’ve seen suppliers cut emissions intensity by 40% with no financial downside,” he said.
Using tools like supply chain finance, Schneider helped partners turn capital investments into operating expenses – removing a key barrier to action.
Clare also pointed to forward planning and volume commitments as key levers.
“With Walmart, we could scale recycled polyester at an accessible cost because they gave us that commitment in advance,” she explained. “It’s about how we create efficiencies in one area to fund sustainability in another.”
Maureen wrapped up the session with a message of long-term thinking.
“Sometimes there is an investment,” she said. “But it’s about what the ROI looks like over time. If you get in early, you’re futureproofed for when carbon taxes and shortages hit.”
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