Global GreenTag has been undertaking product and supply chain level investigations in ethical product certifications that cover many of the issues covered by the Modern Slavery legislation since its inception 10 years ago.

David Baggs, CEO of Global GreenTag International who has led the development of the Global GreenTag MSD says, “What the MSD does differently for companies with large procurement portfolios is give the industry a common language, to help in the collation and aggregation of such complex and variable quality data, make the results transparent and report on not just the risk of Modern Slavery as required by the various legislations but also on the quality of the data relied on to make that assessment.”

“Although the government won’t be enforcing financial penalties as yet because of the impacts of COVID19, it has introduced a world first online register to support the promotion of modern slavery transparency and this year will be publishing companies’ statements on their compliance with the new laws,” says Baggs.

“More recently, we have been paying close attention to relevant developments in the built environment industries, such as a new credit that is being proposed within the LEED Pilot Credit Library, and the International WELL building Standard for MS Compliant or Ethical Supply Chains ” says Baggs.

“The building industry is a massive consumer of products and materials, but it is not the only industry that has large procurement portfolios, so we hope to be of assistance to companies that need to quickly and progressively assess Modern Slavery risk information at a product level to support their own MS reporting requirements.”

“With the MSD, we highlight manufacturers, products and supply chains that are doing the right thing,” he says.

Protections included within the Global GreenTag product level MSD consider a list of Modern Slavery activity, involving: Deceptive Recruiting, Trafficking, Servitude, Forced Labour, Forced Marriage, Debt Bondage, Worst Forms of Child Labour, Discrimination, Equal Remuneration, Free Association and Collective Bargaining.

The MSD report provides individual supply chain scores and weighted overall average score and risk rankings of ‘Very Low Risk’, ‘Low Risk’, ‘Low to Medium Risk’ through to ‘Medium’ and ‘Very High Risk’).

The report also provides a quick product Modern Slavery Risk overview, as well as detailed supporting documentation for a manufacturer’s or their purchasers’ corporate Modern Slavery Statements, whether these be mandated or voluntarily undertaken.

Image: Supplied

Branko Miletic

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