Annual Report 2009-2010 - GS1

Sustainability
GS1 Products & Solutions
A new business imperative
The communication between supply chain partners
of sustainability-related information and metrics has
become one of the most important recent imperatives
for manufacturers and retailers. Various companies
and industry associations are launching scorecards
and metrics-definition projects. Businesses need
common indicators to be able to measure and manage
sustainability. The coming years will see companies
collecting and exchanging more and more data related
to the sustainability of their raw materials, packaging,
products, processes and partners.
However, these increasing exchanges of information will
be feasible and acceptable for trading partners – as well as
for consumers – only if they are cost efficient. Automation
and standards will be key enablers.
“GS1 and The Consumer Goods
Forum are already working together
to drive the implementation of GS1
standards, services and utilities. Our
two organisations will continue to
collaborate to achieve simplification
and bring value and efficiencies to
our members. GS1 standards and
solutions will be a key enabler for
the implementation of the Global
Packaging Project metrics.”
Jean-Marc Saubade
Managing Director
The Consumer Goods Forum
An opportunity for GS1 to pursue its mission
As an open neutral organisation, GS1 is perfectly placed
to help ensure collaboration, alignment and knowledge
sharing between trade associations, Non-Government
Organisations (NGOs), users and other members of the
sustainability community. Indeed, many GS1 Member
Organisations are already involved in local waste
management, recycling, transport and logistics efficiency,
or carbon footprint reduction projects. Their experiences
and best practices will enrich and enhance similar efforts
elsewhere in the world. GS1’s existing standards will play
a key role here and we can oversee the development of
new standards if required.
Supporting The Consumer Goods Forum
One of our main priorities in 2010-2011 is to actively
support the Global Packaging Project (GPP) led by The
Consumer Goods Forum; the GPP is an effort to identify
and assemble a set of commonly-used indicators and
metrics for packaging, in order to allow stakeholders
to access information that will influence improved
packaging designs. The GS1 Global Data Synchronisation
Network could be leveraged to enable the cost-efficient
exchange of this sort of information. We will help ensure
the data requirements of the GPP are understood,
verified and added to the GS1 Global Data Dictionary as
appropriate, and that the GS1 GDSN standard meets the
needs of GPP metrics.
A coordinating role
Sustainability is a vast topic, and reaches far beyond GS1’s
zone of expertise in global supply chains. GS1’s primary
role at this time is to understand industry requirements
at both the global and local levels and ensure that our
standards meet these needs. Alignment with TCGF
is critically important, as is collaboration with other
organisations and local trade associations. By transferring
knowledge, curricula, materials, and best practices, GS1
and its Member Organisations can surely play a
vital role in coordinating a global implementation with
the fewest possible divergences.
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