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OS announces coalition agreement for Supply Chain Data Partnership

Press Office

| 3 minute read
OS is reinforcing its ongoing commitment to delivering a sustainable future by announcing the Supply Chain Data Partnership to coincide with the COP27 summit, taking place in Sharm El Sheikh this November.

The Supply Chain Data Partnership will seek to provide a location dataset for global supply chains such as palm oil, soy and wood-based packaging applications to increase resilience to climate change.

Founding members are OS, Unilever, Esri UK, Deloitte and Planet Labs PBC, and the initial stage will see the delivery of a proof of concept to demonstrate the feasibility of creating a global register for the location of assets. The concept is also supported by Trase.

The ambition is to launch a financially sustainable Location Register which provides a trusted location platform to conduct due diligence on commodity assets to identify, prevent or mitigate risk. This will assist with reducing emissions, biodiversity loss and environmental impact of supply chains, reduce unsustainable agricultural practices and land degradation through more effective monitoring and smart procurement contracts.

By transforming global supply chains, this will help to improve the economic, social, and physical environment by reducing inequality, providing food security, and improving livelihoods – with location data being a key component in offering transparency and decision-making. In turn, this will provide sustainable solutions and identify opportunities for green and sustainable investment.

Donna Lyndsay, Strategic Market Lead at Ordnance Survey said: “Climate change remains the toughest issue we have ever faced, and we all need to be united in our approach. At OS we are committed to achieving a sustainable future which is why we’re thrilled to announce our involvement in the Supply Chain Data Partnership at COP27 this year. We want to demonstrate how location data and technology helps sustainability initiatives succeed by providing accuracy when it comes to monitoring, analysing, and modelling solutions that will help get us one step closer to a sustainable and prosperous future.”

Dr Siobhan Gardiner, Climate & Nature Director at Deloitte said: “The ability to access and analyse complex supply-chain data is critical for organisations wishing to embed sustainability and climate-led decision making across their operations – from stopping deforestation to ensuring ethical engagement and support for farmers and communities. Pushing the use of this data beyond reporting requirements to implementation of climate action at scale is an urgent imperative, and we are excited to explore this vision through this initiative.”

Charles Kennelly, CTO at Esri UK said: “Sustainable and ethical supply chains are central to tackling climate change, protecting biodiversity and treating people humanely. Location is key to understanding and optimising supply chains, enabling full transparency on the origin and transportation of goods across international borders. We at Esri UK believe that the Sustainable Location Register provides a foundational tool to improve the supply chains that we all rely on.”


By Press Office

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