Supply Chains
Supply Chains
Supply Chains
We are the Environment Agency. We protect and improve the environment and make it a better place for people and wildlife. We operate at the place where environmental change has its greatest impact on peoples lives. We reduce the risks to people and properties from flooding; make sure there is enough water for people and wildlife; protect and improve air, land and water quality and apply the environmental standards within which industry can operate. Acting to reduce climate change and helping people and wildlife adapt to its consequences are at the heart of all that we do. We cannot do this alone. We work closely with a wide range of partners including government, business, local authorities, other agencies, civil society groups and the communities we serve.
Published by: Environment Agency Horizon House, Deanery Road Bristol BS1 5AH Email: [email protected] www.environment-agency.gov.uk Environment Agency November 2013 All rights reserved. This document may be reproduced with prior permission of the Environment Agency. Further copies of this report are available from our publications catalogue: http://publications.environmentagency.gov.uk or our National Customer Contact Centre: T: 03708 506506 E: [email protected].
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Executive summary
Smart businesses know how to manage supply chain uncertainty. But extreme weather and our changing climate present a new set of uncertainties that threaten old ways of doing business. Little information is currently available on the unique vulnerabilities facing supply chains and how businesses can increase their resilience. This guidance fills this gap, providing information on climate risks and opportunities, and demonstrating how this understanding can be integrated into established business practices for addressing risk across supply chains. Companies in the UK can no longer ignore the impact of climatic extremes. The costs of extreme weather to business are growing, with flooding in 2012 alone costing the economy over 12 billion. With supply chains increasingly criss-crossing the globe, extreme weather and the impacts of changing climate abroad can be as relevant to your business as flooding at the door. This was clearly seen during the Thai floods in 2011, when suppliers and logistics were disrupted for thousands of companies. Awareness and experience of past events is quickly turning into action, as leading UK companies large and small begin to address risks and search for opportunities. The benefits of action are clear. Early action can reduce risks and help avoid the costs of disaster. New opportunities are also emerging, for example, in new product design, services offered and the chance to get a step ahead of less resilient competitors. This guidance presents a five-step framework for all sizes of businesses to understand what a changing climate and extreme weather mean for them. The framework helps businesses to think through and identify new risks and opportunities within their supply chain, and to work out how to respond dynamically to increase resilience. It is relevant to businesses of every size, with special sections to address particular issues for small to medium enterprises (SMEs).
Plan to respond
Step 5________
Accompanying the framework are five case studies that illustrate how specific components of the framework can be implemented. They cover UK businesses from different sectors and of very different sizes that have begun to take action to increase the resilience of their supply chains to climate risks. From B&Q to a family-run flower farm in the Isles of Scilly, the risks vary but the impetus is shared: smart businesses across the UK are addressing what a changing climate means for their business now.
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Contents
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 Why should businesses act? ....................................................................................................... 2 Relationships and activities in a supply chain .............................................................................. 3 2. How to use this document........................................................................................................ 5 3. A framework for building climate resilience ........................................................................... 6 4. Case studies ............................................................................................................................ 21 5. References .............................................................................................................................. 27 6. Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................ 29 7. Glossary .................................................................................................................................. 30
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1. Introduction
The supply chains of UK companies, large and small, exploit a world of opportunities. But increasing global exposure comes with an increasing range of risks. UK companies complex networks of suppliers and customers are as diverse as the goods and resources they manage. Within the same supply chain, giant multinational companies can sit side-by side with small to medium enterprises (SMEs). Yet among companies large and small there is growing awareness that extreme weather and a changing climate pose new risks and opportunities to old ways of doing business. Smart businesses know how to manage uncertainty. As their exposure to extreme weather increases, informed businesses are incorporating the risk of extreme weather into existing risk management. Meanwhile, business continuity planning is growing to embrace the need to think about how a changing climate impacts on business. Companies in the UK are increasingly aware that their supply chains are exposed to greater weather extremes. International competition and cheap transportation have led to expansive supply chains linked by complex logistics, multiplying risks to business continuity. The Business Continuity Institutes latest Horizon Scanning Survey, with results from 700 organisations in 62 countries, found 53% of the survey respondents were either extremely concerned or concerned about the impacts of adverse weather on their businesses (BCI 2013). Business leaders are now urging companies to think about climate change (Business Green, 2013). Extreme weather is directly affecting UK businesses Summer floods in England and Northern Ireland cost the economy 4 billion in 2007. Drought in the UK during 2012 resulted in a hosepipe ban for 20 million people. 2012 was the wettest summer since 1912, with river levels tripling, and flooding in most regions of England and Wales Extreme events in 2011, including flooding and drought, cost Unilever over 200 million.
Awareness of climate risks is growing among industry stakeholders Globally, some types of extreme weather and climate events have increased in frequency or magnitude. Many large organisations now see climate change as a major risk. There is general consensus that the risks to business are likely to increase in the future. There is also concern that more frequent weather events are likely to have consequences for supply chains. Some businesses are actively planning for an uncertain future. Most SMEs arent prioritising adaptation but some are beginning to adapt in reaction to extreme weather events.
Awareness and experience is turning into action, as leading companies large and small begin to respond to risks and opportunities. Yet there is little guidance for companies which see their supply chains might be at risk but arent sure how to respond. This guidance aims to help UK companies systematically identify, assess, prioritise and act against risks and to seize opportunities that extreme weather and a changing climate pose to their supply chains. This guidance shows that it doesnt take a climate expert or lots of time and resources to build resilience. Making targeted changes in supply chain operations can reduce risks and gain a competitive edge.
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Download the survey report (PDF, 2.0 MB) (www.cdproject.net/CDPResults/CDP-Supply-ChainReport-2013.pdf) for more information.
Mapping supply chains in detail helps to identify risks and opportunities and to target investment towards identifying and taking action. For example, some companies which presently rely on overseas agricultural supplies are investing in research into opportunities for improving yields in the UK where a future climate may provide more favourable growing conditions. Switching to domestic suppliers can reduce the risks inherent in long distance transport logistics and supply planning. Some engineering design consultancies are also beginning to respond by taking account of future climate projections in todays building designs. Resilient businesses are better positioned to identify new opportunities. Opportunities may come in the form of a company gaining competitive advantage over others by being more resilient, to companies forecasting changes in demand for their goods or bringing to market new products better suited to a changing climate. Smaller businesses that dont have the same planning horizons, resources or capacity to look at the longer term can benefit from taking small steps that foster resilience against extreme weather events, returning benefits regardless of a changing climate. All businesses that keep up-to-date with industry research and the actions of others in their supply chain will be better placed to respond to risks and opportunities.
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Exploit opportunities to build resilience into your organisation: an example from the new head office for The Co-operative The Co-operative needs a building for its new head office in Manchester that is resilient to a changing climate to ensure it can operate in present and future conditions without compromising business continuity. The design brief required a high quality building that could operate to the highest economically viable energy standards and was adapted to future climatic conditions. The buildings designers, Buro Happold, checked the design against future climate data using both the current and previous generation of climate projections for the UK (UKCP09 and UKCIP02). Analysis indicated a high risk exposure to hotter summers and heatwaves, and increased rainfall intensity in winter. The building is adapted to manage the risk of overheating through the use of a double skin faade and earth tubes. Storm water is managed using a surface water attenuation tank designed to cope with the increased winter rainfall expected in future. This solution has been tested against, and remains resilient to, a 1 in 1,000 year rainfall event. In addition to influencing building design changes, The Co-operative is developing its flexible working policy to help staff when there are heatwaves and rising temperatures. The work demonstrates how leading design consultants are meeting customer demands for climate resilient design services. Source: D4FC Factsheet 45: The Co-operative Head Office (TSB 2012) To find out more about this and other projects in phases 1 and 2 of the Design for Future Climate: Adapting Buildings competition, visit the competitions web page (https://connect.innovateuk.org/web/design-for-future-climate/projects-outputs). For more information on how the climate of the UK might change visit the United Kingdom Climate Projections 09 (UKCP09) (Jenkins et al 2009) (ukclimateprojections.defra.gov.uk)
Infrastructure design and upkeep Order management and fulfilment Operations Health and safety Distribution
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Supply chains work best when each part works together. But risks in one part can cascade into the others. For example, if procurement of commodities and raw materials from a supplier becomes restricted due to climate-related impacts, the absence of an operational buffer will affect a companys internal manufacturing operations, placing customer order fulfilment at risk. Following this guidance will help business decision-makers identify how particular activities face particular risks and what to do in response, protecting against such cascading problems. Just in Time (JIT) versus Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) or stockpiling Risks of disruption can vary significantly from company to company within a supply chain. Factors can include: the size of the company its geographical location whether it supplies climatically sensitive materials the distances and type of transport methods used whether its a just in time or stockpiling type of supplier But in a lean supply chain it only takes one weak link to disrupt business for its partner companies, no matter how well prepared they are. The JIT supply chain structure provides the minimum inventory required to support operations until the next delivery of supplies. This reduces the inventory held by a business and its carrying costs, at the same time, maximising profits through a lean, efficiency-driven process. The EOQ model is typically used when demand for a product is constant and each new order is delivered in full when an inventory reaches a reorder level. Its aimed at minimising the joint costs of ordering and holding inventory, whereas JIT only minimises the costs of holding inventory. Companies operating or reliant on a JIT model are more prone to upstream supply shocks. Impacts on one supplier in the chain can quickly manifest themselves as disruptions to downstream supply chain members. The Thai floods of 2011 represented the insurance industry's highest recorded flood loss event, with business disruption to over 14,000 companies worldwide (Lawton 2011). The floods were reported to have widely disrupted the international supply of motor and consumer electronic parts. In the UK, Honda cut production at its Swindon plant by 50% and delayed the launch of a new model. The Thai floods also raised the issue of reliance on clustered industries where similar types of suppliers are grouped in the same region. Although in the case of the Thai floods stockpiling in the downstream supply chain may have provided more resilience to upstream shocks, stockpiling itself has its own risks. These include damage to large quantities of stock stored in vulnerable locations. While neither model is fully resilient, businesses need to begin to think through how impacts may differ between these approaches.
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Case study
Boxes like this provide examples of how other businesses are leading the way in building the resilience of their supply chains.
Sector-specific
Boxes like this provide information and resources for specific sectors.
Additional information tables Supplementary information is provided in small tables like these throughout the document.
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Step 2________
Step 3________
Step 4________
Plan to respond
Step 5________
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Is your company:
Aware of impacts on its staff or operations from previous weather events? Located or stockpiling in a vulnerable location (near rivers, on flood plains, coastal)? Limited to one or a small number of alternative suppliers? Heavily reliant on energy or water? Reliant on cooling? Transporting over long distances, by sea or through mountainous regions? Using long-lived assets?
Is a customer:
Acknowledging climate change as a risk? Promoting sustainability in its products and operations? Selling a restricted number of products are they climatically sensitive? In a vulnerable or single location? At risk of not recovering quickly from an extreme event? Reliant on other suppliers located or stockpiling in a vulnerable location (near rivers, on flood plains, coastal)? Reliant on other suppliers clustered in a (vulnerable) geographical region?
Have you answered yes to any of the above? If you have, then you should begin to think differently about risk and opportunities, and about how extreme weather events or a changing climate could affect different parts of your supply chain. Work through the rest of this resilience framework to help you assess and manage climate risks to each part of your supply chain: your suppliers, your internal supply chains, and your customers.
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Design collaboration
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Demand and supply Not taking into account how climate Anticipating or responding to changes in planning change may impact on longer term and demand for goods shorter term seasonal demand for goods and resources Horizon scanning for the potential to develop new climate resilient goods and services Logistics Disruptions to transport routes from Working with suppliers to identify new extreme weather events markets and products that may arise from a changed climate Infrastructure design Buildings unable to manage heat loads New buildings resilient to current and and upkeep or extreme rainfall events future climate, maximising business continuity potential Operations Disruptions to manufacturing due to impacts on suppliers Disruptions to manufacturing due to on-site impacts Heat-stressed workforce during extreme temperature events Adverse site conditions during extreme rainfall events leading to accidents
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Risks Lack of awareness on how weather and climate influence customer demand
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Weigh up the pros and cons of developing a proactive or reactive strategy. Identify which supply chain partners, trade organisations or customers should have an active role in your strategy. Choose a leader, assign responsibility and set deadlines. Assign resources to the team.
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Case study
After Cafdirect found out that its suppliers crops in Peru were threatened by flooding, the small London-based company knew it couldnt resolve this alone. Cafdirect partnered with a local growing organisation in Peru, and together they worked with smallholders in the country to understand the threat to their harvests. Cafdirect funded the project creatively, drawing on external finance schemes that fund reforestation. Reforestation of higher slopes reduced flood risk to vulnerable coffee crops downhill and brought added benefits to the local communities.
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Operations What is the reliance of your manufacturing processes or the goods you provide on environmental conditions or resources? Strategic planning Would your long-term investments or plans be affected by a changing climate? Have you assessed the costs of holding extra stock to ride out disruptions? If your risks are high, have you considered investing in a more detailed risk assessment? Demand planning Which of your product categories are most at risk from weather disruptions and climate change? Are these a large part of your business? Will new product categories emerge as a result of a changing climate? Supply planning Have you mapped your supply chain? Could your long-term supplier contracts be affected by weather disasters or climate change? Have you weighed up the trade-offs between business continuity and cost efficiency? Do you have extra capacity or strategic safety stock in place? What production could you bring in-house to reduce risk? Logistics How could transport of raw materials or finished goods be disrupted by weather disasters? Do you have alternative transport links that allow for flexibility during disruptions? Have you surveyed the routes of your material flow, looking for weather hotspots or bottlenecks? Infrastructure design and upkeep Are your corporate offices, retail locations, depots, warehouses or other critical assets located in areas vulnerable to weather events? Health and safety Would your workforce be exposed to heat waves, floods or storms?
Case study
Camira Fabrics knows what it does best selling high quality, environmentally friendly fabrics manufactured in-house for its global customers with JIT delivery. Camira has introduced targeted actions to build resilience across its supply chain. It nurtures communication about risks and opportunities with its suppliers to reduce the risks of disruption and taken steps to ensure that, when disruptions do happen in one area, they won't disrupt the whole supply chain. The company also surveys regularly for new risks and looks to capitalise on new opportunities that might enable it to anticipate or sidestep supply chain disruptions before they even happen.
Sources of information on how the climate may change and potential impacts on sectors Climate change in the UK United Kingdom Climate Projections 09 (UKCP09) (ukclimateprojections.defra.gov.uk) Environment Agencys Climate Ready Support Service (www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/137557.aspx) United Kingdom Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) (www.ukcip.org.uk) Climate change in Europe Climate-Adapt (climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu) Climate change around the world Information on observed and projected climate change and its impacts in 24 countries (www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate-change/policy-relevant/obs-projections-impacts) For an assessment of the impacts of climate change overseas on the UK see International Threats and Opportunities of Climate Change for the UK, (www.pwc.co.uk/sustainability-climatechange/publications/international-threats-and-opportunities-of-climate-change-to-the-uk.jhtml) Foresight report 2011: International Dimensions of Climate Change (www.gov.uk/government/news/report-highlights-new-challenges-to-the-uk-from-internationalclimate-change--2) IPCC Fourth Assessment Report. Climate Change 2007. The Physical Science Basis (www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/contents.html) IPCC Fourth Assessment Report. Climate Change 2007. Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability (www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg2/en/contents.html) IPCC Special Report, Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX) (ipcc-wg2.gov/SREX/)
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Go further
BACLIAT (Business Areas Climate Impacts Assessment Tool) is a workshop resource that helps users to identify the potential threats and opportunities of a changing climate on their business. Its freely available from the Environment Agencys Climate Ready Support Service and includes special insights for SMEs. Download BACLIAT (www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/137639.aspx)
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Case study
Kingfisher supplies timber products to its hundreds of DIY stores around the world. In 2011, the retail giant assessed which of its many properties were vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather. Kingfisher staff identified which of its locations were most vulnerable and used the results to prioritise which properties needed to be made more resilient. With targeted investments, Kingfisher reduced risks across its extensive property portfolio.
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Go further
The value chain is a broader concept that expands on supply chains to also look at the communities and ecosystems that businesses rely on for employees, customer and materials. Shareholders expect increasingly more from businesses in terms of corporate social responsibility. For advice on how to address climate risk across your value chain, read the Oxfam report Value Chain Climate Resilience (www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/prep-value-chainclimate-resilience).
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Monitor your progress Review your goals established in Step 2. Monitor the continued relevance, effectiveness and performance of the actions by adopting a continued improvement approach. Design a checklist or a monitoring and evaluation plan ensure lessons learned can inform the ongoing process of ensuring resilience and how the actions may influence future planning and investments. Identify whether adjusting actions need to be made. Review the impact of actions with your suppliers what benefits have been realised and why? Were there any dis-benefits and why? Consider trade-offs you have made and how these were justified. What were the consequences were there any negative or positive impacts on the business? Determine how your achievements and milestones can be shared with others in your supply chain or your sector.
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Go further
AdaptME is a resource that can help you monitor and evaluate your progress towards meeting your adaptation goals. Download the AdaptME toolkit from the UKCIP website (www.ukcip.org.uk/adaptme-toolkit).
Sources of information that can help businesses build resilience to a changing climate Environment Agencys Climate Ready support service (www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/137557.aspx) Climate UK (www.climateuk.net)
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4. Case studies: Building supply chain climate resilience and identifying opportunities
Image courtesy of Stuart Bryant
The five case studies in this section illustrate how specific components of the framework can be implemented. The cases studies cover UK businesses from different sectors and of very different sizes that have begun to take action to increase the resilience of their supply chains to climate risks.
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CASE STUDY
Cafdirect
What can a small company in London do when its suppliers in Peru are in trouble?
Quite a lot, as it turns out. Cafdirect, an SME and alternative trading organisation based in London, sources coffee, tea and cocoa from small producers around the world. The company was a pioneer of Fairtrade and other ethical business standards in the UK. Cafdirect is led today by its Gold Standard commitments to its suppliers and to integrated environmental action and accountable business. Threat to the supply chain (Step 1) Cafdirect sources coffee from smallholders living in the Andean foothills of Peru. But communities living 2000 metres above the coffee plantations have felled forests for fuel. This affects Cafdirects coffee suppliers downhill whenever it rains. Without the forests to absorb the rainfall, water sweeps downhill and causes flooding. This washes away fertilisers and nutrient-rich soil. It also blocks roads and prevents farmers from shipping their coffee out. Heavy rainfall events in recent years has caused more frequent flooding, putting Cafdirects supply of high quality coffee at risk.
Working closely with suppliers to find creative ways to build a more resilient supply chain
Resources
Adaptive response (Step 2, Step 3, Step 4) Cafdirect is dedicated to working with its supply chain partners to meet challenges. Working with local growing organisations, Cafdirect began an integrated programme in 2006 called Adaptation to Climate Change for Smallholder Growers (AdapCC) to address risks to growers in Peru and in other supplier countries. Beginning with awareness raising and building on an established relationship of dialogue with its farming smallholders, Cafdirect supported a major programme of reforestation of the uplands to reduce the impact of flooding on its suppliers downhill. Cafdirect funded the project by drawing on external carbon finance schemes that provide funding for reforestation and the protection of new forests. By 2011 the programme had been a huge success, protecting coffee supplies, the livelihoods of 6,600 farmers and bringing much needed income to 348 families uphill. Cafdirects close cooperation with the local producer organisations benefitted the company, its suppliers and local communities, protecting the supply and quality of the product, as well as upholding and demonstrating Cafdirects ethical commitments. Working closely with its suppliers, local organisations and relevant financing schemes has helped Cafdirect build resilience in its supply chain to both current weather events and future climate risks.
Coffee Climate Crisis: Pioneering Smallholder Adaptation in Peru (PDF, 2.9 MB) (http://cafedirect.co.uk/wpcontent/uploads/downloads/ 2012/05/Coffee-ClimateCrisis.pdf)
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CASE STUDY
B&Q
When your customers look to you to prepare themselves, you need to be prepared
B&Q (and its parent company Kingfisher) has a history of finding innovative ways to source raw materials sustainably. Now the UK-based DIY retailer is going further by finding solutions to climate risks across its supply chain. B&Q knows that, despite some uncertainty and early costs, climate change presents new risks and opportunities to its business. Its approach shows how big companies can think creatively to seize opportunities that are smart 4. Source: Kingfisher business and build resilience across the supply chain. Protecting property (Step 1, Step 3, Step 4) In 2011 Kingfisher realised that to reduce costs and meet the high expectations of its shareholders and customers, it needed to assess which of its many properties were vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather. The company assessed climate risks to its properties, identifying its most vulnerable sites. It used the results of that assessment to make targeted investments to reduce and anticipate risks across its extensive property portfolio. Anticipating product demand (Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, Step 5) B&Q knows that when extreme weather occurs in the UK its customers look to it for the supplies and tools they need to respond. The company is working to have the right goods in stock and to anticipate customers needs before crises occur, exploring entire new product lines that may be of use to customers in a changing climate. In addition, B&Q has joined the Environment Agency in a partnership to educate and raise the awareness of customers in England to climate risks. Sharing information on risks isn't just good corporate citizenship; B&Q is learning about what its consumers need, and educating customers on the techniques and materials available to make their homes more resilient to extreme weather. Going beyond sustainable sourcing (Step 1, Step 2, Step 4) Timber is an essential part of Kingfishers retail business and used in a third of its products. With 100% of its timber products taken from sustainable sources around the world, B&Q is leading the way within Kingfisher and the UK. While protecting forests is good for business, B&Q is now pushing further to strengthen its supply chain against climate risks. In 2012, Kingfisher launched a new strategic sourcing initiative to enhance the resilience of its timber supply chain by building relationships with local suppliers. Its seeking to commit to a variety of wood types, increasing its interaction with vendors and providing greater supply chain transparency. B&Q is also working to balance the needs of local communities living in and around woodlands with those of its suppliers. In addition to requiring sustainable use of woodlands by its suppliers, B&Q also encourage local communities to access and use the same woodlands for amenity purposes.
Resources
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CASE STUDY
Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the Scillies enjoy a subtropical climate that allows Source: Scent from the Scent from the Islands to grow flowers outdoors throughout the year. The Islands islands mild climate may be helping this unique business to flourish, but its island location presents numerous challenges to its supply chain. The 20year old company has relied on a variety of options to transport its postal boxes of flowers off the island. However, helicopter flights to Penzance stopped recently and bad weather frequently closes the airport at Land's End, the Scillies main air connection. The company therefore worked closely with the Royal Mail to ensure minimum disruption to its postal services, switching to using sea links to the island and by using Newquay as an Benefit from good alternative airport. practice regardless Fix what you can (Step 3, Step 4)
of climate change
Scent from the Islands is unable to move its operations and leave its unique island climate, but with transport options continually threatened by weather, the company has been forced to find creative ways to manage its supply chain risks where ever possible. The business buys packaging materials like tissue and cardboard to present and post the flowers. It prefers to work with materials suppliers based in the south-west of England as they are aware of local weather conditions and potential risk to sailings. The company is also working with suppliers to manage transport risks, such as remaining flexible about when deliveries can be shipped and by sharing information on transport risks between companies. By working closely with its suppliers, Scent from the Islands is building trust and developing managing transport risks that are otherwise beyond its control. Back on the Scillies, Scent from the Islands monitors potential shipping disruptions by communicating with local transport companies. Its also taking steps to protect its means of production. Indigenous flowers are adapted to the local climate and sensitive to changes in water availability and temperature. The company is reducing its reliance on pumped groundwater by investing in rainwater harvesting, which will enable it to thrive even through periods of reduced summer rainfall. Small businesses can't always fix every disruption in their supply chain. Scent from the Islands demonstrates some of the small, cost-effective solutions that allow a family-run SME to minimise its risks, build resilience in its supply chain and stay profitable.
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CASE STUDY
Camira Fabrics
How can you build resilience without .breaking the bank?
Seizing low-cost, low-risk opportunities, Camira is a progressive Yorkshirebased fabrics company at the top end of the SME scale. From manufacturing facilities in Huddersfield, Nottingham and Lithuania, and design offices in Mirfield, Camiras staff develop and produce high-quality, environmentally friendly fabrics. The company relies on materials from a global network of large and small suppliers providing natural and man-made fibres, and after production and manufacturing in UK, ships to a global client base. Holding the lead (Step 3, Step 4) One of Camira's unique selling points as Just in Time suppliers is that it can fulfil an order request within 24 hours. To maintain this advantage and meet its customers high expectations, Camira is taking smart action now across its supply chain to increase its resilience to severe weather impacts. Camira retains a network of many small suppliers around the world so that it can circumvent impacts that limit production or quality, increasing its resilience to supply chain disruption. Nevertheless, the company works consistently to encourage two-way communications with its suppliers to determine where the market is heading over the medium term and what risks different segments of their supply chain face. Camira keeps up its end of this proactive relationship by offering solutions in attempts to head off disruptions before they arise, for example, through sharing information on standards or changes in market demand and fashion. Camira has even offered storage space on its own site when a suppliers site is found to be at higher risk from natural disasters. Camira is conducting a full risk and opportunity assessment of its operations to produce a climate change resilience plan. At the same time, its engaging with suppliers and customers, sharing progress on how to build resilience and relaying its expectations to its suppliers. Thinking two-steps ahead (Step 3) Having observed a growing customer demand for sustainable materials and environmental credentials, Camira is working to ensure its raw materials can be sustainably sourced. Synthetic textiles are popular, so 100% recycled polyester products were developed and are some of the best sellers. However, Camira has also seized an opportunity to shift the balance of its raw material supply toward bast fibres including hemp. Hemp is resilient, fast growing and, as it uses far less water than other raw material processes, its supply is more resilient in periods of drought. Woody shive separated from the textile fibre is even used for biodegradable animal bedding, increasing the financial yield. Grown in the UK, hemp allows Camira to source closer to home. Having worked with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on an innovative hemp project, and now working to educate its customers on the materials many benefits, Camira isnt ignoring recent extreme weather events. Reducing its reliance on water-sensitive crops and energy-intensive synthetics, Camira is positioning itself one step ahead of its competitors.
Resources
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CASE STUDY
In the hours immediately following the Cumbria floods, Yorkon was commissioned by Tesco to build a 13,300 sq. ft. interim supermarket to serve the cut-off areas of Workington. Yorkon manufactures and fits out complete buildings off-site, allowing for rapid deployment of buildings for emergency as well as permanent situations. Working with Johnson Construction, Yorkon provided a high quality interim supermarket for the local Workington community in record time. The building modules were delivered to a brownfield site in Workington and assembled overnight in just 18 hours. After fitting out and stocking shelves, the store was open to the public in only 13 days. Seize new business opportunities (Step 4) Modular construction isnt a new technology, but Yorkon is finding that new approaches and its expertise in the area are increasingly valued as an emergency response option by major retailers and fast food restaurants. Portakabin also offers short-term hire solutions to meet the needs of SMEs to ensure business continuity in emergency and flood situations.
Resources
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5. References
BCI, 2013. Horizon Scan 2013 Survey Report. Reading: The Business Continuity Institute. Available from: http://www.bcifiles.com/BCI_HorizonScan2013.pdf (PDF, 590 KB) [Accessed July 2013]. BUSINESS GREEN, 2013. Unilever boss: Climate change cost company 200m last year [online]. http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2169950/unilever-boss-climate-change-cost-companyeur200m [Accessed July 2013]. CDP, 2013. Reducing Risk and Driving Business Value, CDP Supply Chain Report 2012-13. Report for the Carbon Disclosure Project by Accenture. London: Carbon Disclosure Project. Available from: https://www.cdproject.net/CDPResults/CDP-Supply-Chain-Report-2013.pdf (PDF< 2.0 MB) [Accessed July 2013]. CIPS, 2013. CIPS Positions on Practice Purchasing & Supply Management: Supply Chain Management. London: Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply. Available from: http://cipsintelligence.cips.org/opencontent/supply-chain-management [Accessed July 2013]. ENVIRONMENT AGENCY, 2013. Business and services [online]. Bristol: Environment Agency. Available from: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/policy/132329.aspx [Accessed July 2013]. ENVIRONMENT AGENCY AND DEFRA, 2013. Be Climate Ready [online]. Available from: http://www.climateweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Be-Climate-Ready-Guide-for-ClimateWeek-2013.pdf (PDF, 8.1 MB) [Accessed July 2013]. GRAY, L., 2012. Wettest year on record cost economy 13bn [online], The Telegraph, 31 December 2012. Available from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/9771541/Wettest-yearon-record-cost-economy-13bn.html [Accessed July 2013]. IPCC, 2001. IPCC Third Assessment Report. Annex B: Glossary of Terms. Geneva: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Available from: http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/glossary/taripcc-terms-en.pdf (144 KB) [Accessed July 2013]. IPCC, 2007. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press. Available from: http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/contents.html [Accessed July 2013]. IPCC, 2012. Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX): Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press. Available from: http://ipcc-wg2.gov/SREX/ [Accessed July 2013]. JENKINS, G., PERRY, M., AND PRIOR, J., 2009. The Climate of the United Kingdom and Recent Trends. Exeter: Hadley Centre, Met Office. Available from: http://ukclimateprojections.defra.gov.uk/media.jsp?mediaid=87932&filetype=pdf (PDF, 22.7 MB) [Accessed July 2013]. LAWTON, J., 2011. Long after the floods, supply chains feel the pain [online], Forbes Magazine, 1 December 2011. Available from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/ciocentral/2011/12/01/long-after-thefloods-recede-supply-chains-feel-the-pain/ [Accessed July 2013]. SOCIAL CHANGE UK, 2013. Assessing the Vulnerability of UK Businesses to Climate Change: A Literature Review. A report for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Environment Agency. TSB, 2012. D4FC Factsheet 45: The Co-operative Head Office. Design for Future Climate: Adapted Buildings Competition Phase 2. London: Technology Strategy Board.
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UKCIP, 2013. Glossary [online]. Oxford: UKCIP. Available from: http://www.ukcip.org.uk/glossary/ [Accessed July 2013].
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6. Acknowledgements
This report was prepared by Peter Adams and Bob Khosa (Acclimatise) with the assistance of Ian Behling (Halcrow). The project was managed by Megan Gawith (Environment Agency). The development of the guidance was overseen by a project Steering Committee comprising Kylie Russell (Environment Agency), Adrian Hilton (ClimateUK) and Graeme Henton (Defra). It was funded by the Environment Agencys Climate Ready support service. The authors express their sincere thanks to the following organisations for their help in developing the guidance. They provided invaluable insights into how UK businesses can effectively manage the challenges and exploit the opportunities that weather events and a changing climate brings to their supply chains. Alliance Boots B&Q Ltd (part of the Kingfisher Group) British Retail Consortium Buro Happold Ltd Cafdirect plc Camira Fabrics Ltd Christie Elite Nurseries Ltd Federation of Small Businesses Food and Drink Federation Forestry Commission Frugi Heineken IGD Matthew Algie and Company Ltd National Association of Cider Makers Scent from the Islands Society of Motor Manufacturers Speedo Tesco plc Transport for London The Body Shop International plc Yorkon Ltd
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7. Glossary
Term Adaptation Definition Adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities (IPCC 2001). Average weather over a period of time, usually 30 years (UKCIP 2013). Any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or as a result of human activity (IPCC 2001). In human systems, the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects in order to moderate harm or exploit beneficial opportunities. In natural systems, the process of adjustment to actual climate and its effects; human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate (IPCC 2012). Additional risk to investments (such as buildings and infrastructure) and actions, from potential climate change impacts (UKCIP 2013). The ability of a system and its component parts to anticipate, absorb, accommodate, or recover from the effects of a hazardous event in a timely and efficient manner, including through ensuring the preservation, restoration, or improvement of its essential basic structures and functions (IPCC 2012). The term used to refer to the ability to cope with or recover from a range of inputs and situations in a given environment (UKCIP 2013). Small to medium enterprise (10250 employees). The supply chain conceptually covers the entire physical process from ordering and obtaining the raw materials through all process steps until the finished product reaches the end consumer. Most supply chains consist of many separate companies, each linked by virtue of their part in satisfying the specific need of the end consumer (CIPS 2013). An expression of the degree to which a value or relationship is unknown. Uncertainty can result from lack of information or from disagreement about what is known or even knowable (IPCC 2012). The propensity or predisposition to be adversely affected (IPCC 2012).
Resilience
Robust
Uncertainty
Vulnerability
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