joys

Running a small sustainability consultancy for 25 years has been as rewarding as it has challenging. While much has changed, I sometimes feel like I’m having the same conversations with businesses, governments, community groups and academics that I had in 1999! Yet, the progress I’ve seen keeps me optimistic.

While sustainable and ethical consumption is hard to define, it is generally agreed upon among sustainability and broader scientific communities that a move towards a plant-based diet is a necessity to meet climate targets and reduce the impact of climate change (Berglund, 2019; Oleshuck et al., 2019; Sage, 2014). This research investigates the ways in which professionals working in the broader field of ‘sustainability’ navigate...

As I reflect on 25 years of sustainability consulting, I’m struck by the incredible journey it has been—one filled with both challenges and immense rewards. When I first started, the conversations around sustainability were often met with hesitation or uncertainty.

Here are just a few of the lessons that have guided me over the years

With close to 700 active learners currently registered on our LMS, 1855 course assignments and close to 1500 completed courses so far this year, we’re proud of our role in training national and international companies, including staff, managers, board directors and suppliers in modern slavery awareness and risk management.

Our bite-sized and highly interactive off-the-shelf modern slavery eLearning modules have recently been updated to reflect changing risk profiles, legislative requirements and reporting opportunities. While some of our clients choose to purchase the SCORM files to be housed on their in-house learning management systems, many continue to make use of our LMS, ensuring staff undertake key modules as part of staff induction programs.

Training suppliers in modern slavery risk management empowers them to identify, mitigate, and prevent practices that contribute to human exploitation within their operations and supply chains.

To help with this, we’ve developed a concise, 12-minute training course that offers practical insights into:

• Recognising the signs of exploitation

• Implementing ethical labour practices

• Ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements

A question we have heard many times over the years is “Which of our suppliers do we need to assess for modern slavery risk?”

Our proven method for supplier risk prioritisation focuses on assessing modern slavery risks by considering risk factors for modern slavery including geography, industry sector, commodity, and workforce profile.

Australia imports a significant number of products from China each year, with the total value exceeding AUD 80 billion annually in recent years. China is Australia’s largest trading partner with imports including potentially high-risk goods for modern slavery such as electrical and electronic equipment, machinery, vehicles and vehicle parts, textiles, medical apparatus and solar panels.

Using suppliers from China can pose significant risks for Australian companies due largely to the documented use of Uyghur forced labour in various industries, particularly in the Xinjiang Province. The Chinese government's extensive surveillance...

On Tuesday I had the opportunity to attend Nestlé Global's 2023 Climate Progress Update, hosted in collaboration with Innovation Forum. The company's Net Zero targets were under the spotlight, with presenters from across the global team sharing examples of Net Zero projects. It was particularly interesting to hear about the initiatives the company has planned in its aim to reduce the impact of its dairy farming in Brazil.

One striking revelation was…

We’re super proud of the tools and resources we’ve developed to help our clients assess and address their modern slavery risks.

Here’s just three of our favourites:

We get it – our clients know that engaging suppliers on ESG risks is crucial, but figuring out where to start can be hard. From deciphering jargon to ensuring we're asking all the right questions, and getting the answers we need, at SD Strategies, we pride ourselves on demystifying supplier engagement.

To date, we've analysed tens of billions of dollars in spend across diverse sectors and crafted over 70 tailor-made questionnaires. We’ve worked with clients across a diverse range of sectors including renewables, mineral and extractive industries, oil and gas, medical consumables, consumer goods, finance, clothing and apparel, ICT, health, security services, and food and beverage. Our global reach extends to Brazil, Korea, China, and Southeast Asia, complete with localized translations for seamless collaboration.

We get it, you’re vegan for the animals, but what about HUMAN rights?

Our latest article delves into the interconnected nature of human and animal rights within the agriculture industry. From the impact of our food choices on marginalised communities to the links between animal agriculture and deforestation, this piece challenges us to think beyond the conventional narratives.

50 years ago today, I disembarked the SS Australis with my parents and sister, and around 2,250 other excited and slightly apprehensive migrants from the UK and Europe. We had spent 6 weeks onboard the SS Australis, sailing from Bremerhaven in Germany, via Cape Town and Fremantle, to our new home in Sydney. And like all migrants (then and now) we were leaving behind friends, family, and everything we knew in search of new beginnings and the hope for a brighter future.

Practical insights on how to engage suppliers in your modern slavery risk management program

As highlighted by confronting article in the Guardian, climate change is driving vulnerable people living in areas impacted by extreme weather events into the arms of human traffickers. In this blog post we provide some insights for Australian Modern Slavery Reporting Entities.

Interesting article in the Wall Street Journal regarding 'green-hushing'…

As I hop into my local supermarket this week, I find myself overwhelmed by chocolate- dark, light, milk, mylk, some labelled ‘sustainable’ and others ‘fair trade’. I’m on the hunt for the elusive “ethical” chocolate just in time for Easter- but where do I even begin?

With many of our clients in their second or third year of modern slavery reporting, we’ve been looking for opportunities to help accelerate their modern slavery risk management and due diligence programs to demonstrate how they are practically addressing the issue and striving for continuous improvement. 

What data trends did we see in modern slavery risk analysis among our clients in 2022? In 2022 we assessed close to $9 billion of procurement spend from Australian (or Australian-based) companies against modern slavery risk indicators (including geography, commodity, industry sector and workforce profile). Pouring over this amount of data and working closely with procurement teams provided some useful insights into trends and issues to consider when assessing and addressing supply chain risk.