17 September | 10:30-11:45 ICT

From Order to Outcome: Unpacking responsible purchasing practices’ impact on workers in Asia

Organized by:

Ethical Trading Initiative

Background

A company’s purchasing practices — from price negotiations to production lead times — directly affect working conditions and human rights. Even when brands set strong labour standards, their own commercial behaviour can undermine them, causing excessive overtime, stress, and injury. With growing evidence of this link, and new regulations such as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, companies face rising pressure to address their own behaviours, not just set expectations for suppliers.

The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) responded with a 21-month Responsible Purchasing Practices (RPP) programme involving 15 companies across sectors from renewable energy to home accessories. Five pilot projects in China, India, and Bangladesh tested the Common Framework for RPP, showing how shifts in buyer behaviour can reduce harm, strengthen supplier relationships, and improve worker well-being.

Asia Pacific is a key sourcing region employing millions, where informal labour, subcontracting, and power imbalances are common place. In today’s climate of geopolitical instability and market change, responsible purchasing is more critical than ever. This session shares case evidence, worker insights, and supplier perspectives — offering practical tools and guidance for stakeholders to reform purchasing practices, anchor progress on human rights, and strengthen regional leadership in building fairer, more resilient supply chains.

Key Objectives

Showcase evidence — Present practical cases from ETI’s 21-month initiative that demonstrate the real-world impact of changing purchasing practices.
Equip participants — Share practical tools, approaches, and lessons learned for reviewing and improving purchasing practices in their own contexts.
Catalyse action — Inspire cross-sector collaboration to scale responsible purchasing in the Asia Pacific region, aligning corporate behaviour with regulatory requirements and worker realities.

Guiding Questions

How do brands’ purchasing practices — from cost negotiations to lead times — directly influence working conditions and workers’ rights in Asia Pacific supply chains?
What concrete changes in buyer behaviour, as seen in the ETI pilots, have measurably improved worker well-being and reduced risk?
How can regional stakeholders — including suppliers, workers, policymakers, and brands — collaborate to embed responsible purchasing practices within wider regulatory and market frameworks?

Format