The recent webinar hosted by Products of Change (POC) in collaboration with the Ethical Supply Chain Program (ESCP) introduced the partnership of the two companies to the network and highlighted the importance of collaboration in driving change within the brand and licensing industry.
Watch the full webinar recording now here.
While POC has largely been focusing on environmental responsibility through its work, ESCP has been working on the social responsibility side, but both aspects are needed for true sustainability, which is why the partnership will be so beneficial to both groups. The session offered a comprehensive look at the evolving ESG landscape and the strategic efforts needed to make a measurable impact.
Introduction of the Ethical Supply Chain Program (ESCP)
Carmel Gibblin, CEO of ESCP, and Todd Merton, head of business development, who both bring extensive experience in the social aspects of supply chains, led the webinar.
“We’re really excited about the opportunity to partner with Products of Change and the engage with their member community, because we also don’t want to duplicate and waste effort and energy when there’s already a fantastic organisation out there doing the things that we don’t do. So we see the power of collaboration. We think it drives great value for our membership communities, and we think it’s the way that we can drive real change, both at a product level, in regards to sustainability, but also a people level,” commented Carmel.
Carmel provided a background on ESCP, which was established in 1995 to tackle ethical issues within the global toy industry’s supply chain. The organisation offers assurance services through audits and certifications, focusing on social compliance, labour standards, and worker treatment. Since then, ESCP has become independent of the toy industry and now works across multiple sectors.
ESCP’s approach and programmes
“We are mission driven rather than profit driven, and that’s something that I think has really led us to being trusted and respected. We’re a very open, transparent and accountable organisation,” Carmel said.
“We’re also about creating long term, sustainable improvements that can be measured, so the positive impacts of the millions of dollars that are spent on audits actually can have a value. We are really passionate about this, that we want to move company thinking away from compliance being a cost that needs to be cut, and an unavoidable issue that you have to deal with in your organisation, to really identifying it as an opportunity to do better, but to do better in a way which has business benefits. So we want to make sure that sustainability is positive for your companies, for the organisations that we work with, and ultimately for the workers who are making the product,” added Carmel.
ESCP works with all parts of the supply chain, including all the major retailers and licensors, and companies from very small to very large.
She highlighted ESCP’s expanded service offerings, which go beyond traditional compliance audits. These services include remediation programs, capability-building initiatives, and worker well-being programs.
A key focus of ESCP is on remediation – helping businesses address and rectify issues identified during audits. Carmel stressed the importance of actioning audit findings to mitigate risk and improve operational integrity. Additionally, ESCP’s worker well-being programmes target root causes of workplace challenges, such as childcare and gender equality, fostering better working conditions and employee retention.
Social and environmental impact assessment
To support licensing companies in managing ethical responsibilities, ESCP introduced its Social and Environmental Impact Assessment. This tool enables companies to conduct due diligence without assuming legal liability, providing a clear framework to assess site-level social and environmental performance.
Designed to be scalable and cost-effective, the assessment evaluates the effectiveness of company policies and practices. Carmel emphasised that this initiative is crucial in helping licensors navigate legal and reputational risks while improving sustainability performance.
“For new regulation coming in, how can we help companies ensure that they’re able to respond and meet that regulation? Through relationships with organisations like Product of Change, it’s really helping us to provide to our membership community, and also to the Products of Change member community, a kind of radar so that we are future looking about what’s coming down the line towards companies, and how can we respond to that in a way that is quick and fit for purpose,” said Carmel.
She explained that there is a huge amount of data to support the business case for improving labour standards, such as increased worker retention and attraction, reduced training costs, improved quality, which requires less rework and product recourse.
Carmel explained, “Through our partnership with Products of Change, we will be able to serve you more tools, more resources and access to the expertise that you need. We want to provide a one stop solution through our respective specialist areas.
“When you’re assessing what your responsible sourcing strategy should be, or your product sustainability strategy, it can be quite hard to navigate and we want to provide you with the confidence and allow us to have a bigger conversation about responsible product development and manufacturing.”
To see the full webinar, visit our Resources page or follow this link.
