Insights on EcoVadis, CSRD and Decarbonisation

Welcome back to #SustainabilityinMotion. In this edition, we cover:

• Unilever's groundbreaking partnership with Nexio Projects aimed at enhancing climate action among suppliers.
• Valuable insights from ABN AMRO on streamlining reporting processes under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Nexio Projects' recognition as a leading consultancy in this field.
• Key findings from Climate Week and EcoVadis' Performance Index Report.

Inspire

Decarbonisation involves the strategic reduction or complete elimination of carbon emissions. In the business realm, this process focuses on mitigating the environmental impact associated with corporate operations and value chains.

Businesses aiming for decarbonisation typically engage in initiatives to minimise their carbon footprint. This may include adopting sustainable practices in energy consumption, transitioning to renewable energy sources, optimising production processes for efficiency, and implementing eco-friendly supply chain strategies.

Unilever partners with Nexio Projects Projects to deliver their Supplier Climate Programme and to help accelerate climate action across the private sector.

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ABN AMRO on CSRD: Tips for a streamlined reporting process

For many companies across Europe, the road to compliance with the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is well underway. However, as the first group of companies prepare to disclose 2024 data, getting to grips with the practicalities of this legislation remains a challenge.

Discover the insights shared by Roza Wegkamp , EU Taxonomy and CSRD Business Analyst at Dutch bank 荷兰銀行 , and Camilla Morandi , CSRD Expert in our latest blog article.

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Nexio Projects attends Climate Week NYC

This month, we had the opportunity to attend Climate Week in New York City and join insightful conversations and events.

During our week oversea, we had the chance of meeting Anna Tiajoloff and Marc Lovci of Duggal Visual Solutions . We discussed their organisation’s impressive sustainability initiatives, like their unique, recyclable fabric visual displays and their ambitions to lead the industry with circular solutions. We wrapped up our visit with an tour of their cutting-edge production facility.

Additionally, we gathered for a productive dinner with Frans-Willem de Kloet and Floris Schiks of Ecochain , our key LCA software partner. It was a perfect way to unwind and dive into the differences between life, business, and sustainability in the US and the Netherlands, as well as the amazing opportunities both markets offer.

Finally, we hosted our first in-person event in the United States, together with our partner, Position Green .

During this thought-provoking event, we explored how EU regulations are shaping US businesses. It was a privilege bring together a diverse array of companies to dive into key frameworks like SFDR, CSRD, CBAM , and the EUTaxonomy , and to discuss real-life business cases that these regulations have brought forward. The energy in the room during the Q&A and the case discussions over lunch was incredible.

The takeaways of the session?

1. The key to success consists of planning ahead, setting up a dedicated team, making incremental progress, and leveraging industry peer groups.
2. It also became clear that combining consultancy and software is a winning approach—bringing expertise and tools that reduce guesswork, bridge internal knowledge gap, and streamline complex processes like data collection and supplier engagement.

Did you know?

EcoVadis released the 8th edition of the Business Sustainability Performance Index , based on data gathered via the 125,000+ sustainability ratings delivered from 2019 to 2023.

Here’s our key takeaways:

1. Sustainable Procurement lags behind: Performance on the Sustainable Procurement theme continues to be the lowest among all themes assessed. This suggests a critical area for improvement as companies face increasing pressure to manage sustainability throughout their supply chains.
2. Europe outperforms on Environment: 34% of European companies scored at an Advanced level or above on the Environment theme, significantly higher than other regions.
3. North American large companies underperform: In North America, large companies (1000+ employees) have lower average scores than SMEs. This is contrary to the trend in other regions and suggests a need for accelerated improvement among large North American corporations.
4. Latin America shows strongest improvement: Latin America had the largest average scoring increase in 2023 of any region, driven particularly by progress on the Environment theme. This indicates rapidly evolving sustainability practices in the region.
5. UAE sees dramatic growth in ratings:?The United Arab Emirates had an 83% increase in sustainability ratings in 2023, the largest among countries with at least 100 ratings. This suggests rapidly growing interest in sustainability in the Middle East.
6. Asian SMEs outpace large companies:?In Asia-Pacific, SMEs improved their average scores more than those in any other region in 2023, outperforming large companies. This highlights the agility of smaller Asian firms in adopting sustainable practices.
7. US leads in number of ratings: The United States led the network in total ratings for the first time in 2023 with nearly 5,000. This indicates a significant shift in US companies' approach to sustainability transparency.
8. Advanced performance takes time: While 15% of companies in the network achieved Advanced performance (score of 65+) in 2023, 49% of these leaders took up to 5 rating cycles to reach this level. This highlights the long-term commitment required for sustainability excellence.

Are you looking for tips to improve your EcoVadis score? Sign up to our webinar series .

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