Companies looking to positively influence supply chains to gain the desired environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)-related outcomes would do well to begin the journey by developing a rigorous Supplier Code of Conduct (CoC) that sets out key expectations across the most pertinent areas. These would include compliance with the law, business integrity and ethics, human rights, health, safety and environmental protection. By making this the starting point, a company is sounding out the posture and attitude its suppliers are expected to uphold and defend. When this is firmly in place, everything else can be reasonably expected to fall into place. This has been our experience at OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad. Once the CoC has been understood by our suppliers, we have been able to seamlessly ensure that our procurement discipline incorporates the use of recycled materials, green certifications and energy efficiency of equipment, among others. We cannot emphasise more how vital it is for the CoC to be incorporated into the supplier onboarding process, which should then be acknowledged by suppliers before an engagement can commence. Sustainable Procurement The assessment of supply chains is best carried out by establishing environmental and social performance indicators for all vendors with regular progress monitoring, by conducting capacity-building programmes and by facilitating knowledge-sharing. Companies might find incorporating ESG weightages and due diligence checks in the procurement of products and services in this manner to be most beneficial. In recent times, companies have become more conversant and drawn into progressively placing greater emphasis on procuring environmentally friendly products and services over others during the screening and selection of suppliers. This is a good sign but there is still a long way to go before the desired take-up rate is achieved. Toward achieving this end, we believe that the CoC should firmly go

Yasuda Logistics Corporation has spent more than a century earning trust in moments when logistics cannot be treated as routine. Founded in Yokohama in 1919, it has grown across Japan and Asia while staying close to what customers need. By working alongside them across the logistics journey, Yasuda gives them clarity about who is responsible when a shipment crosses borders, changes hands and moves through several stages before reaching its destination. Its global network makes that responsibility easier to manage. Warehousing, forwarding, customs clearance, transportation and coordinated delivery services come together through a single point of coordination. Customers no longer have to piece together information from multiple providers. They gain greater visibility across the journey and confidence that every stage is moving toward the same outcome. Yasuda’s collaboration with Zenport strengthens that visibility. The cloud-based trade and supply chain management platform helps customers monitor movements across the logistics network. Yet coordination alone is not what customers remember. They value having a logistics partner that understands what they are trying to achieve and adapts accordingly. Yasuda begins by identifying each customer’s priorities, potential risks and operational requirements, then shapes the solution around those realities rather than fitting them into a standard process..