據阿拉伯貿易網迪拜報道，在5月19日在迪拜舉行的第13屆海灣石油化工和化學品協會(GPCA)供應鏈會議上，發言者一致認為，未來的石油化工和化學品供應鏈需要更可持續和更有彈性，以準備和減輕未來的供應中斷。

2020年開始的疫情大流行，自本世紀初以來氣候變化的威脅，如今地緣政治沖突給全球供應鏈帶來的沖擊波，改變現有的物流模型造成的威脅，引人注目的商業領袖們要謹慎和采用新的思維方式。這是5月17日至19日在阿聯酋迪拜希爾頓迪拜艾爾哈布圖爾城酒店舉行的GPCA活動的主要看點。

FAHSS-TUV首席執行官兼GPCA供應鏈委員會主席Saleh Al-Suwaiti在第一天的歡迎詞中表示：“疫情大流行帶來的危機迫使企業將重點轉向創新和重組工作，通過建立彈性和靈活性來確保業務連續性。”

供應鏈脫碳  

Al-Suwaiti補充說，如今，由于政府和企業都承諾支持碳中和，石油化工和化學品供應鏈脫碳已成為討論的前沿。  

Al-Suwaiti為討論定下了基調，29位業內領先專家分享了他們的見解，并將其作為活動主題的一部分——“未來的供應鏈：現在”。 在此次活動的首次執行官小組會議上，沙特鐵路公司(SAR)和薩達拉化學公司指出了確保供應鏈可靠性和建立健全的多式聯運系統的重要性。

他們補充說，海灣合作委員會鐵路項目不僅有望從整體上改善供應鏈系統，而且可以以更有效和可持續的方式做到這一點，大幅減少排放。

知識資產

在第一天的全體會議上，阿聯酋世界港口公司集裝箱碼頭執行董事Esam Khoori告訴觀眾：“由于我們從兩年的混亂中轉變，我們發現知識資產是推動企業成功的因素。”他呼吁建立一個更緊密聯系、更協作、更負責任的行業，并補充稱：“通過改善全行業合作，石化和化學行業屆時將受益匪淺。”  

第二天的演講繼續強調化學品供應鏈可持續性的必要性。在歡迎致辭中，荷蘭孚寶公司中東地區商業和業務發展總監、GPCA供應鏈委員會副主席Aslam Moola贊揚了新的能源存儲和運輸解決方案，如海合會鐵路，為該地區的供應鏈和物流帶來了轉型變化。

海合會海關聯盟主任Mutlaq Bin Saad Al-Mutlaq在會議的最后一天發表了主題演講。他首先概述了在海合會關稅聯盟框架內促進海合會內部貿易的機會。他還介紹了海合會在這方面工作的最新情況，最后他強調了這一重要舉措對該地區成員國的社會經濟利益至關重要。 

化學品供應鏈  

GPCA秘書長Abdulwahab Al Sadoun博士評論道：“化學品供應鏈正在日益復雜的環境中運作，而全球力量超出化學品行業的控制。從地緣政治緊張局勢的影響到迄今仍然持續的疫情大流行，不斷上升的全球貿易保護主義和全世界許多國家的近岸外包，供應鏈領導人正面臨一個具有挑戰性的任務——為未來做計劃和準備，這個未來可能與現在的現實完全不同，而且越來越難以預測。 因此，保持積極主動和敏捷靈活將是幫助公司免受未來風險的一些關鍵因素。”

Sadoun博士說：“另一方面，關鍵的需求——例如接近客戶、采用供應鏈數字化、采取可持續和真正的理解環境、社會和治理(ESG)議程的影響——意味著企業不能再等待這些趨勢的到來。

“它們就在家門口，并且已經在改變化工行業的供應鏈。為了保持競爭力，化工行業的領導者必須利用未來的機會來提高他們的靈活性，與客戶和合作伙伴合作，并通過正確的投資和技術來降低他們對環境的影響。最后，他們必須專注于開發自己的才能，用他們需要的技能來解決他們尚未面對的挑戰。”

李峻 編譯自 美國油價網

原文如下：

Future of supply chain is green and resilient: GPCA

The supply chain of the future needs to be more sustainable and resilient to prepare for and mitigate future disruptions, agreed speakers at the 13th Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) Supply Chain Conference.

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic at the start of 2020, the threat of climate change since the beginning of the century and now the Russia-Ukraine conflict have sent shockwaves across global supply chains and threatened to transform existing logistics models, compelling business leaders to take heed and adopt new ways of thinking. This was the main takeaway from this week’s GPCA event held from May 17 to 19 at the Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City, Dubai, UAE.

“The crisis brought on by the pandemic forced companies to shift their focus to innovation and restructuring efforts, to ensure business continuity by building resilience and agility,” said Saleh Al-Suwaiti, CEO, FAHSS-TUV, and Chairman, GPCA Supply Chain Committee, in his welcome address on day one. 

Supply chain decarbonisation

Today supply chain decarbonisation is at the forefront of conversations, as governments and businesses alike pledge their support towards carbon neutrality, he added. 

Al-Suwaiti set the tone for the discussion which saw 29 leading industry experts share their insights as part of the event’s theme “Future-proofing supply chains: The time is now”.  During the event’s first of its kind executive panel, Dr Bashar Al Malik, CEO, Saudi Railway Company (SAR), and Dr Faisal Al-Faqeer, CEO, Sadara Chemical Company, pointed to the importance of ensuring supply chain reliability and putting a robust, multi-modal transportation system in place. 

The GCC Rail is expected to not only improve the supply chain system as a whole, but can do so in a more efficient and sustainable way, reducing emissions substantially, they added.

Knowledge capital

In the plenary address on day one, Esam Khoori, Executive Director – Container Terminals, DP World UAE, told the audience: “As we transition forward from two years of disruptions, we find that knowledge capital is what will drive successful businesses.” Calling for a more connected, collaborative and responsible sector, he added: “The petrochemical industry stands much to gain through improved, sector-wide collaboration.”

Presentations on day two continued to put emphasis on the need for sustainability across chemical supply chains. In his welcome address, Aslam Moola, Commercial and Business Development Director, Vopak Middle East, and Vice-Chairman, GPCA Supply Chain Committee, praised new energy storage and transport solutions, such as the GCC Rail, for making transformational changes to the supply chain and logistics in the region. 

Mutlaq Bin Saad Al-Mutlaq, Director, GCC Custom Union, delivered the keynote address on the last day of the conference. He began by outlining the opportunities to facilitate intra-GCC trade within the framework of the GCC Customs Union. He also shared the latest updates about the GCC’s work in this regard and concluded by highlighting the socio-economic benefits of this important initiative for members in the region. 

Chemical supply chains

Dr Abdulwahab Al Sadoun, Secretary General GPCA, commented: “Chemical supply chains are operating in an increasingly complex landscape disrupted by global forces beyond the chemical industry’s control. From geopolitical tensions to the impact of the still ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, rising global trade protectionism and nearshoring by numerous countries across the world, supply chain leaders are facing a challenging task – to plan and prepare for a future that may be radically different from the current reality and ever more difficult to predict. As a result, staying proactive and agile will be some of the key factors that will help insulate companies from future risks.  

“On the other hand, key imperatives such as customer proximity, adopting supply chain digitalisation, acting on sustainability and truly understanding the impact from the Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) agenda means that companies cannot wait any longer for these trends to arrive. 

“They are right here on their doorstep and already transforming the chemical industry’s supply chain. To stay competitive, chemical industry leaders must capitalise on the opportunities ahead to grow their agility, collaborate with their customers and partners, and drive down their impact on the environment with the right investment and technology. Lastly, they must focus on developing their talent and equipping them with the skills they need to solve challenges they are yet to face.”