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Globalisation

The ‘Making of” Climate Modelling

April 29, 2025

How do we know what we know about climate change? Computing the Climate takes us behind the scenes of modern climate science, exploring the history, models, labs, and minds that shaped and continue to shape our understanding. This journey not only sheds light on the past but also explains why and how our actions today influence the range of possible futures of our planet's climate.

Biz Strategy Globalisation

Sustainability in industry and academic research: Heavens for barriers and ‘allotment attitudes’

December 8, 2011

Scientists, engineers, designers and creators. 3 'species' of people that neither in academia, nor in industry collaborate well. Yet, precisely the fashion and textiles industry is so trans-disciplinary that collaboration is a must.

Consumer-ism Globalisation

Consumer Behaviour – the 3Cs: Countries, culture, customers

December 2, 2012

Understanding cross-border diversity in consumer behaviour, advertising, sales and marketing management is a widely studied topic of international marketing. Cultural difference matter particularly in business negotiations, advertising, consumer behaviour and marketing research. One of the most frequent approaches differentiates between high-context and low-context cultures, which impacts directly on the quality and quantity of information businesses are willing to share.

Globalisation Labels

Spotlight on labels: Indian Standard for Organic Textiles (ISOT)

July 19, 2013

India, the largest producer of organic cotton in the world is all set to have an Indian Standard for Organic Textiles (ISOT) of its own. The unique selling proposition (USP) of this standard is that it will cover the life cycle of the cotton fibre right from crop to clothing. This is different to GOTS which is primarily concerned with the growing stage of cotton, and only includes minimum regulations for the subsequent manufacturing stages. From the Indian perspective, GOTS does not permit to maintain traceability and integrity of organic textiles.

Globalisation Opinions

6th IPCC Report: Scientists – thank you for all your hard work!

August 17, 2021

A week or so ago, the latest, sixth, IPCC report dropped. My suggestion hence is simply read it. Even if only the executive summary. But just read it. All I would like is to grab the opportunity to give a HUGE thank you to all the scientists involved. Thank you dear IPCC scientists! Thank you for all the work, the patience, and the glimmer of hope that despite it all remains a firm part of the reports. Even this latest one.

Definitions Finance Globalisation Supply Chain

The True Cost – Hidden Costs x Sustainable Development: Transport

January 18, 2022

This post is part of a series where I look at and into the true cost of certain goods and services. This time I’d like to look into the True Cost of all types Transport and Mobility: road, rail, aviation and water. The question therefore is: What are the total costs – the True Cost, i.e. including what is commonly called ‘externalities’ – of the different types of transport we use globally, both for passengers and for freight? Or if you prefer: how do different types of transport compare to each other when it comes to ‘collateral damage’? Spoiler alert: It is really quite complex and rather diverse. And: public infrastructure investments and maintenance costs play a significant role in it.

Biz Strategy Brand Review Globalisation

Japanese fast fashion whale cooperates with Grameen – sustainable commitment or PR stint?

September 7, 2010

First of an article series that analyses Uniqlo's CSR - specifically in Japan - track record, and why it joint forced with Bangladesh's Grameen Bank.

Globalisation Supply Chain

Sourcing Destination: Brazil – A Latinamerican Powerhouse

October 30, 2013

For retail, Brazil is the ‘next hot’ place to go to. For a variety of reasons: For one, the country’s economy has been for a long time up and raising. Brazil is one of the 4 BRIC countries – the 4 most dominant raising economies, and ranks forth among them. Its retail sector is expected to boom tremendously over the next few years owing largely to the two major global sport events – the 2014 FIFA World Cup and Rio 2016 Summer Olympics that will take place in the country.

Globalisation Materials

The Gambia – An Unexpected Textile Hub

March 19, 2012

Report by Jacqueline Shaw from Africa Fashion Guide, on a recent visit to The Gambia and the textile history and techniques she encountered during her stay.

Book Reviews Globalisation

The better consumer in Europe – summary of new report

March 28, 2013

The “Better Consumer” report aims to be a source of reliable information to those executive saying “Show me there is demand, and we'll be happy to cater to it” when asked why their fashion brand is not producing better, more sustainable products.

Globalisation Governance Opinions

We have the choice: The future is ours – to define, to demand, to make it happen

April 21, 2020

The world ‘at the other end’ of the Corona tunnel could never be the same as before. It could be so much better than ever – with a real opportunity to put it on the rails that will make it the place we desire it to be. Or: it could be same, but indeed worse place then ever. Where past misbehaviours is ignored at best, OK’ed at worse.

Biz Strategy Globalisation Governance

Fashion Companies & their Boards of Directors: Rotten Eggs in a Diverse World

December 1, 2020

Diversity and Inclusion is a highly relevant topic not ‘just’ because it is all about equality and justice. But as long as entire parts of our global population remain disenfranchised, and desperate to just survive from day to day, tackling challenges - and in particular Climate Change - that affect all of us, indiscriminately, remains impossible. Boards of Directors set out the "Tone at the Top', also in matter of diversity and inclusion. In fashion companies, what exactly is the tone, the music, that they are creating?

Brand Review Finance Globalisation Supply Chain

Uniqlo’s joint venture with Grameen: What is its structure?

November 23, 2010

Strategical setting, structure and goals of the Uniqlo-Grameen joint venture. 6th of an article series that analyses Uniqlo and why it joint forced with Bangladesh's Grameen Bank.

Globalisation Governance Supply Chain

Risky Fashion: The challenges of Integrating Product Design and the Supply Chain

March 7, 2014

The design stage is usually the longest, most expensive and riskiest part of the chain. Additionally, research has shown that at least an estimated 80% of a product's environmental (and to a lesser degree also social) impact is locked at the design stage into a product. By integrating the product design with the supply chain, companies can compress non-value adding time and costs in their supply chains, increase responsiveness and mitigate supply chain risks – while simultaneously managing (improving) their sustainability performance without added costs or efforts.

Consumer-ism Globalisation Trade Shows

Copenhagen Fashion Summit 2012 – Insights

May 10, 2012

On May 3rd 2012 the 2nd Fashion Summit took place in Copenhagen. Bringing fashion industry key people together to discuss sustainability with them, yet without using the term itself, is already a considerably achievement. Ilaria Pasquinelli attended and reports on her insights.

Globalisation Supply Chain

Sourcing Destinations: Ethiopia

January 29, 2014

Already early last year the Swedish Fast Fashion retailer H&M announced the placement of test orders for garments from Ethiopian and Kenyan suppliers. And they're not even the first ones: Retailers such as Tesco and Walmart seem to have gone down that lane already some time ago.

Biz Strategy Globalisation Governance Materials

Juukan Gorge and Leadership Ethics – Compound interest of: technocratic lawyers + profit focus + racism

September 22, 2020

On May 24th 2020 Rio Tinto blew up the Juukan Gorge rock shelters in Australia, which ancestors of the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura (PKKP) people occupied over the course of 46’000 years.There are a multitude of lessons to be learned from the entire process that lead to the disastrous blast of a site of such archaeological importance. But also from how the scrutiny in its aftermaths and the have been. Here a selection of just a few to think about.

Circularity Consumer-ism Globalisation Materials

Where does all the clothing go? – Insights from academic research, but without the jargon

February 2, 2012

The 'Everything must go' exhibition, that took place from January 20 to 22, 2012, introduced the wider public to the details of the global value chain for discarded clothing. Drawing from the results of 5 years of research, the numbers and facts are staggering, and intriguing at the same time.

Brand Portraits Globalisation Supply Chain

Tunisian Textiles – A vibrant mix of social and cultural diversity

December 6, 2012

In Tunisia, like across most of the Maghrib region, textiles, their significance and methods of production remain a firm part of the country’s identity and history. A portrait.