EcoVadis in the Press - Articles and bylines

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) clauses are a common feature in contracts between buyers and suppliers. Yet the vague language of the majority of these clauses suggests limited effectiveness in actually bringing about sustainable practices, according to a recent study of more than 550 buyers and suppliers conducted by EcoVadis.

As demand for sustainability transparency continues to grow, companies will require a higher degree of sophistication and detail around the data they gather and the information they report.  It is in this spirit that EcoVadis, a leader in supply chain sustainability ratings, recently announced the winners of its second annual Sustainable Procurement Leadership Awards and Sustainability Leadership Awards.

EcoVadis announced the release of its updated sustainability intelligence platform, EcoVadis 10. According to company officials with whom we spoke, the updated platform puts the user and user experience (for buyers and suppliers) at the forefront. Both parties can access the same platform, which can help to centralize operations for organizations that are both buyers and suppliers and to facilitate trading partner collaboration. Buyers will soon have a consolidated list of their suppliers with the ability to filter and tag suppliers. They will also have a dashboard that visualizes supplier information and integrates news feeds from around the world that buyers and category managers can monitor to keep tabs on their supplier base in near-real time.

EcoVadis announced Wednesday the release of EcoVadis 10, the latest edition of its sustainability intelligence platform, according to a press release. New capabilities in the release include a streamlined user interface; dedicated news feeds for supplier-specific insights; and a portfolio list view that offers new ways to customize supplier information management.

Supply chains are making headlines once again — and for all the wrong reasons. Over the past year, we’ve seen stories about rampant health and labor violations concerning an Apple supplier in China, the exploitation of workers in Panasonic’s Malaysian supply chain, and allegations of child labor and unsafe working conditions at Samsung suppliers in South Korea.

EcoVadis provides reliable sustainability indicators on suppliers to help procurement teams monitor CSR/ESG practices. Its Co-CEO, Pierre-Francois Thaler, gives us an overview of how the firm sees supply chain risk evolve in 2018 - this is the first in a short series of supply chain prediction posts from various sectors. 

The global business community has made solid improvements in sustainability over the past several years – from making COP21 climate change commitments, meeting consumer demand for sustainable, traceable products and paying greater attention to worker safety and factory conditions, organizations around the world are taking a deeper look at supplier health. The story doesn’t stop there. Several trends show that now is the time to take this progress to the next level, with businesses playing a leading role.

Sustainability was once considered something of a ’soft’ topic that just made good PR. That has changed. It is now ingrained in strategies and is seen as a key business driver and risk mitigation. More than that though, its importance is growing further.

Environmental, social and ethical performance ratings platform EcoVadis has released the latest edition of its sustainability intelligence platform, which it says will make it easier for buyers and suppliers to collaborate and drive sustainability improvements throughout their supply chains.

There is a lot of disruption and uncertainty in today’s international political climate, particularly on this side of the Atlantic. Over the past 15 months, the Trump Administration has bluntly stated its intention to curtail domestic environmental and financial regulations and withdraw from international agreements on climate change and free trade. Meanwhile, other countries and governing bodies have been filling the leadership vacuum left by the U.S. on these and other CSR matters.

A short-sighted focus on cutting costs and speeding products to market is resulting in a race to the bottom that will cost companies more in the long-run. Top performers in sustainable sourcing will emerge with stronger supply chains, higher margins, more trusted brands and happier customers.