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47% of Europe is in a warning condition whilst 17% is in alert condition according to the latest Combined Drought Indicator (CDI) report. Drought hazards have been increasing across Europe with much of Europe affected by drought and severely dry conditions.
Recent unusual weather patterns have caused wildfires and water shortages, both have a direct effect on deforestation and food supplies, while driving up costs, adding to the inflationary pressures being seen within the UK today.
During July and August 2022 the UK, Europe and Asia have suffered droughts, rivers across these regions are at all-time lows, crippling shipping capacity, the river Yangtze (one of the longest rivers in the world!) has seen shipping come to a halt, impacting global supply chains. The low river levels have also reduced the ability for hydro-electric power stations in the area to generate energy. The impact of the power stations closing has seen office buildings switching off air conditioning, and Shanghai switching off its waterfront lights to conserve energy whilst the demand is high, and production is low.
In Europe, river levels are causing a concern for shipping as the Rhine has only 30cm of water left. The river Rhine is an essential route for commodities travelling from Switzerland to the Netherlands but low water levels exacerbated by climate change is effecting boats carrying these commodities.
Water shortages are the largest threat to food supply chains
Water shortages are the largest threat to food supply chains, the University of Colorado Boulder has written a report calling for more collaboration between policymakers and research organisations to build a more resilient global food supply chain. Value Match have covered mitigating supply chain risk management in the wake of global food shortages earlier this year.
The planet is facing an existential threat – climate change! As both the public and private sector organisations grapple with the associated risks, what more can be done to combat climate change? By implementing a procurement strategy with an emphasis on sustainability we can have a positive impact on the environment and counteract climate change. However, there are no legal obligations to embed sustainability within our procurement activities.
Public sector procurement can be the lever and answer for positive change and a leader in achieving a net zero future. Which is why we’re encouraging procurement professionals, stakeholders and the wider community to sign the petition to amend the Procurement Bill to enshrine positive environmental legal obligations.