WBI and Sedex team to tackle responsible supply chain data

An online platform where buyers will be able to browse the sustainability credentials of suppliers is under development by the World Bank Institute (WBI) and Sedex.

The free-of-charge Open Supply Chain Platform will enable firms of all sizes to upload, share and track data covering issues such as ethics, labour standards and environmental factors. It is expected to go live later this year.

Sedex and WBI say the platform will enable suppliers to benchmark themselves against core international standards and provide guidance on areas of weakness, in turn enabling them to drive improvements and share information on performance with buyers. 

For buyers, the platform will inform sourcing decisions by empowering them to search for, and source goods and services from suppliers that demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of sustainability requirements and commitments.

As such, the developers maintain that it will help create a more level-playing field for supply chain data by offering a range of functionalities to drive sustainability performance in global supply chains.

Carmel Giblin, CEO at Sedex commented: “The Open Supply Chain Platform will deliver a step change in the uptake of responsible behaviours and practices by businesses. It will foster governance, sustainability and social development impacts in global supply chains.”

Benjamin Herzberg, Program Lead, Open Private Sector, World Bank Institute, added: “The World Bank is committed to scaling up development impacts and achieving the goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity. It is thus essential that we encourage the private sector to adopt open and collaborative behaviours that favor social, environmental and governance outcomes. That’s the purpose of our Open Private Sector Platform.”

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