BEING SEEN TO BE
GREEN
IS NO LONGER ENOUGH -
YOU NEED PROOF
Sustainability certification and ratings are increasingly important , as businesses strive to meet net zero carbon targets
WRITTEN BY : SEAN ASHCROFT
Sustainability is near the top of virtually every agenda these days . COP26 , held in Glasgow in October 2021 , served to confirm that the global move to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 is no mere goal , but an operational reality at governmental and boardroom level .
But of course , aiming for net zero and knowing how to achieve it are discrete things . What we do know for sure is supply chains have a huge role to play in the sustainability bid . According to McKinsey , supply chains account for more than 80 % of greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions .
The pressing need for sustainable supply chains means that there is now an urgent need for businesses to be sure that their supply chain vendors are on-point when it comes to net zero goals . This can be a problem for multinational businesses , who can have thousands of thirdparty vendors , upstream and downstream .
Certification helps prevent ‘ greenwashing ’ But how can a business know if a supplier is truly green , or merely ‘ greenwashing ’ — by talking the sustainability talk , but not walking the walk ? In a word — certification . Supply chain managers who want assurances their vendors are pukka green then they can demand proof of the fact .
“Businesses must provide recent and credible evidence of their sustainability management systems ”
DAVID MCCLINTOCK MARKETING DIRECTOR , ECOVADIS
98 March 2022