SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN & OPERATIONS STAGE

Day 2 April 15



09:00–10:40

BLOCK 1  -  SUSTAINABILITY UNDER OPERATIONAL LOAD

09:00 - 09:30

PANEL

 Sustainability obligations intensify faster than operational capacity can absorb

  • Exploring how new sustainability requirements accumulate across stores, warehouses and partners without proportional capacity increases.
  • Highlighting where uneven readiness turns the weakest operational link into a system-wide bottleneck.
  • Synchronising workload thresholds, partner responsibilities and execution pacing into one operating rhythm, mitigating overload before failures cascade.

09:30 - 09:50

 Sustainability data breaks where execution processes lack consistency

  • Exploring how sustainability metrics depend on routine capture of operational events across daily store and warehouse activities.
  • Highlighting where inconsistent definitions, manual handling and delayed recording undermine data reliability under pressure.
  • Harmonising event capture rules, data ownership and validation checkpoints into one execution layer, normalising sustainability data as part of daily operations.

09:50 - 10:10

Operational strain emerges before sustainability delivers measurable resilience

  • Exploring how new sustainability tasks add steps, checks and handoffs into already stretched operational routines.
  • Highlighting where exception volumes rise faster than teams can absorb through existing processes and roles.
  • Rebalancing task design, exception thresholds and support capacity into one workload model, absorbing strain before stability erodes.

10:10 - 10:40

PANEL

 Sustainability initiatives fail when sequencing ignores operational capacity limits

  • Exploring how overlapping sustainability initiatives collide with daily execution demands and limited operational headroom.
  • Highlighting where poor sequencing pushes additional workload into fragile processes and increases exception frequency.
  • Prioritising stabilisation steps, initiative order and execution pacing into one rollout logic, preventing overload before systemic failure.

 10:40 - 11:00

Coffee Break

 11:00–13:00

BLOCK 2  -  CIRCULAR OPERATIONS AT SCALE

 11:00 - 11:30

PANEL

Reverse flows destabilise operations when circular transitions begin before systems adapt

  • Exploring how the introduction of reverse flows adds volume, handling steps and uncertainty into established store and distribution routines.
  • Highlighting where parallel compliant and non-compliant flows overload backrooms, transport links and receiving processes.
  • Coordinating intake rules, handling capacity and routing priorities into one transition model, containing disruption during early circular rollout.

 11:30 - 11:50

Circular systems stall when costs and benefits fall on different actors

  • Exploring how circular initiatives redistribute costs, handling effort and risk across suppliers, operators and retailers.
  • Highlighting where misaligned incentives discourage participation and slow operational adoption of closed-loop processes.
  • Realigning cost allocation rules, performance measures and responsibility boundaries into one operating logic, restoring momentum in circular execution.

 

11:50–12:10  

Closed-loop systems fail when behaviour collides with operational constraints

  • Exploring how everyday handling behaviour shapes the volume, quality and timing of returned materials in closed-loop operations.
  • Highlighting where convenience-driven actions create contamination, delays and rework at store and backroom interfaces.
  • Embedding behaviour-aware handling rules, acceptance criteria and training cues into one execution model, reducing disruption across reverse flows.


12:10–12:30  

Parallel flows create instability before circular systems reach steady state

  • Exploring how operating with old and new flows in parallel multiplies handling paths, decisions and training demands.
  • Highlighting where uncertainty around acceptance rules and routing increases errors and slows execution during rollouts.
  • Synchronising transition timing, training coverage and exception handling into one rollout cadence, stabilising operations as systems mature.

12:30 - 13:00

PANEL

Circularity stalls when operating models lag behind ecosystem complexity

  • Exploring how closed-loop ambitions rely on multiple actors whose capabilities and incentives evolve at different speeds.
  • Highlighting where weakest-link dependencies and fragmented responsibilities prevent circular processes from stabilising.
  • Redesigning operating roles, interface ownership and performance signals into one system view, aligning circular execution across the network.

13:00 - 14:00

Lunch

14:00 - 16:00

BLOCK 3  -  DECARBONISING UNDER CONSTRAINT

14:00 - 14:30


Decarbonisation ambition accelerates while transport and energy systems lag behind

  • Exploring how rising decarbonisation expectations translate into operational requirements across transport fleets and energy supply.
  • Highlighting where infrastructure readiness, asset availability and supplier capability constrain feasible execution timelines.
  • Sequencing targets, asset transitions and service commitments into one feasibility pathway, preventing premature disruption.

14:30–14:50  


 

  Low-carbon transport choices introduce volatility into cost and service performance

  • Exploring how alternative fuels and new energy contracts alter operating costs and service predictability.
  • Highlighting where price swings, limited availability and route constraints increase exposure during transition phases.
  • Balancing fuel selection, route design and contingency buffers into one operating approach, dampening volatility impacts.

14:50–15:10  

Collaboration limits constrain decarbonisation when networks remain competitively fragmented

  • Exploring how shared transport, pooling and coordination could reduce emissions through better asset utilisation.
  • Highlighting where competitive boundaries, data reluctance and misaligned incentives prevent sustained collaboration.
  • Linking collaboration scopes, data-sharing rules and utilisation targets into one cooperation framework, unlocking efficiency without eroding competitiveness.

15:10–15:30  

PANEL

Decarbonisation succeeds only within narrow feasibility and sequencing windows

  • Exploring which transport and energy actions can realistically be executed within current infrastructure and asset constraints.
  • Highlighting where cost exposure and service risk expand when decarbonisation steps are taken out of sequence.
  • Sequencing initiatives, capacity commitments and fallback options into one transition window, controlling risk while progress continues.

15:30–16:00  

PANEL

Feasibility defines the pace of decarbonisation when systems reach their limits

  • Exploring how accumulated constraints across transport, energy and partners narrow realistic decarbonisation options.
  • Highlighting where ambition outpaces execution capacity, creating exposure through cost, service and credibility risks.
  • Anchoring decarbonisation commitments, capability readiness and review cadence into one feasibility frame, sustaining progress without overreach.










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