Why EcoVadis?
EcoVadis provides independent, evidence-based assessments of a company’s performance across four key areas:
Environmental impact
Labour and human rights
Ethics
Sustainable procurement
It’s a globally recognised benchmark used by businesses and procurement teams around the world to assess supply chain partners. So, for our customers, it’s a clear sign of trust and transparency.
A unified effort, a stronger outcome
This year marked our first combined EcoVadis assessment across all areas of our UK operations. Previously, separate entities within our business were assessed individually. Unifying those assessments was no small feat, but it’s allowed us to present a clearer picture of how we operate.
The result? A score increase to 73 and retention of our Silver rating is a solid step forward as we work towards our goal of achieving Gold.
Making meaningful progress
We’ve seen some of our biggest improvements in:
Sustainable procurement: thanks to a greater focus on supplier auditing, particularly in Asia, working alongside ElecImport China.
Business ethics: driven by investment in IT security training and risk management.
I want to congratulate all our team members for their dedication to improving our EcoVadis rating over the last twelve months, and for securing an increased score through the complexity of merging four previously separate business units into a single assessment. In 2022, we began to lay the foundations of our Sustainability & Social Value (SSV) strategy, and are now seeing meaningful progress each year. Achieving gold is our next major goal, and we’re committed to being a leader in our sector and a force for good, with a focus on people, planet, and communities.
Looking ahead: aiming for Gold
Gold status is awarded to the top 5% of companies assessed by EcoVadis. We’re not there yet, but we’re working towards it.
This Silver rating reflects not just where we are today, but the direction we’re headed: towards stronger sustainability, greater supply chain transparency, and even higher standards across the board.
We know sustainability mattes - to our customers, our communities, and our future as a business. And this rating gives our partners and clients the reassurance that when you work with CEF, you’re working with a company that takes that responsibility seriously.
For further information about our Sustainability and Social Value strategy, click here.