Hundreds of global suppliers – including in the manufacturing sector – have come together in a first-of-its-kind peer-to-peer network to share practical strategies for improving their sustainability performance, with thousands more expected to join in the coming months.
The platform, facilitated by leading global ESG rating agency EcoVadis, provides a trusted space for suppliers to collaborate, exchange insights and tackle complex sustainability challenges at a time when supply chain emissions and human rights due diligence are under increasing scrutiny.
Some 400 suppliers spanning sectors such as manufacturing, construction, freight transport, computer programming and data processing took part in the initial pilot, including 60 headquartered in the UK.
It is estimated that as many as 15,000 could be signed up by the end of 2026, with the potential to scale to tens of thousands as suppliers across EcoVadis’s global network join.
The platform comes as new research revealed that 90% of surveyed UK organisations plan to ‘accelerate their low-carbon transition’ over the next three years, and 98% of UK business leaders see climate transition as a ‘commercial opportunity’.
It also follows research showing that Scope 3 emissions are, on average, 21 times higher than Scope 1 and 2 combined, and allows suppliers to tap into the knowledge they need to drive improvements in their environmental impact.
Pierre-François Thaler, co-founder and co-CEO of EcoVadis, said: “What research and our experience shows is that peer-to-peer engagement is a primary driver of change and learning.
“Many suppliers understand they need to improve their ESG performance but don’t always know how, and some can feel isolated in that journey.
“By bringing suppliers together in a collaborative ecosystem, we are allowing them to draw from a collective intelligence to help reduce their impact, close the execution gap and simultaneously boost their appeal to increasingly ESG-focused clients and investors – all while helping sustainability improvements snowball up the supply chain.”
In addition to connecting suppliers with peers, the platform provides access to expert-led discussion circles and a library of real-world practical case studies, helping them tackle complex challenges – such as decarbonisation and ethical labour rights – improving their EcoVadis rating and strengthening their competitive business advantage.
Paul Shortland, Compliance Manager for Tier 1 Asset Management – a leading circular IT lifecycle service provider – said: “Without the community, I would often spend time reading and struggling to visualise the solution, often risking a solution that might be cumbersome or difficult to work with. With the community I can now get guidance on what is really needed.
“By sharing stories, pitfalls and challenges the working group can help each other improve and better themselves.”
Ellie Gibbons, Development Technologist and Sustainability Lead at Hexpol TPE, said: “The EcoVadis Community is a great place to connect with like-minded people who share a common mission.
“Seeing real examples of how sustainable business practices can be implemented and evidenced is incredibly valuable. I look forward to building more connections, improving my scorecard, and contributing my experience.”
The community platform is an online portal accessible to all customers currently rated by EcoVadis. Since its founding, EcoVadis has rated over 150,000 companies globally and onboarded more than 25,000 new rated businesses in the past year, signalling the scale the platform could reach as more suppliers in the agency’s network join.
