ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY The RBA produced its first comprehensive guidance on greenhouse gas management to assist members and their suppliers in living into new requirements set forth in VAP 7.0; primarily that all companies measure, publicly report, and set reduction targets for their Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS ALLIANCE 2021 ANNUAL REPORT
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The inclusion of these essential practices deep within supply chains is even more critical as companies at all tiers seek to reduce the carbon footprint of their products and supply chains. The ability for the RBA to embed and verify these practices goes a long way toward empowering members to fulfill their sustainability strategies and potentially go carbon neutral or net zero. The RBA Greenhouse Gas Management Guide makes leading global practices more accessible to facilities of all levels of maturity, accompanying technical guidance with case studies and resources. The six chapters of the RBA Greenhouse Gas Management Guide include all required practices of RBA members and their suppliers, as well as aspirational objectives like Scope 3 accounting. In the coming year, the RBA will build upon this fundamental technical guidance with more complementary tools that continue to ease the implementation of these practices. Throughout 2021, the RBA explored ways to connect deeper tiers of supply chains to the resources and expertise that are most readily available to OEMs. The Alliance for Water Stewardship’s Water Risk in the ICT
Sector report is an example of where the RBA worked with members and industry experts to analyze further tiers of supply chains, in this case locational data, so that insightful water risk analysis could identify potential watersheds for current and future water shortages or quality challenges. The RBA will continue to work with partners to refine these practices, while also looking for more ways to leverage the wealth of data and participation from members so that supply chains become more visible and sustainable.
COP26 IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND RBA staff shared industry success stories and perspectives at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland in November of 2021. The RBA participated in a number of activities including the Tech for Climate Action event hosted in partnership with the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA UK) and COP26 E-Alliance & Partners. The multiday event included an exhibition, an environmental conference, a CEO panel, and the COP26 Compass Award ceremony. RBA CEO Rob Lederer delivered the keynote address at the Tech for Climate Action environmental conference, where he stressed the importance of collaboration and technology in addressing climate impacts throughout the global supply chain. He also talked about the circular economy as a way to meet climate, responsible business conduct, and capacity-
