RS Group earned a platinum EcoVadis medal, attaining notable leadership in the fields of environment, ethics, sustainable procurement, and labor and human rights.
RS Group plc (LSE: RS1), a global provider of product and service solutions for industrial customers, has earned a second consecutive platinum medal from EcoVadis, an independent provider of global sustainability ratings used by many large organizations to help support sustainable purchasing decisions.
The platinum medal puts RS Group in the top 1% of the more than 100,000 rated companies that EcoVadis assesses and rates in terms of the material sustainability risks and issues for their size, location, and industry. This year’s achievement is further heightened since the criteria for attaining the platinum standard in 2023 are even more rigorous than in previous years.
The objective of the EcoVadis methodology is to measure the quality of a company’s sustainability management system through its policies, actions, and results. The assessment focuses on 21 sustainability criteria that are grouped into four themes: environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. One example of a key achievement for RS over the past year is the 10% reduction in direct carbon emissions from 2,000 tCO2e in H1 2022/23 to 1,800 tCO2e in H1 2023/24 due to energy savings, switching to renewable electricity, and a net zero fleet*.
“We are delighted to have attained the EcoVadis platinum medal for the second successive year and believe this is a reflection of our strong commitment to the implementation of our 2030 ESG action plan,” said Andrea Barrett, Vice President of Social Responsibility and Sustainability, RS Group. “Of particular note is the progress made by our People and Ethics teams to further improve our policies, performance, and disclosure in the area of labor and human rights.”
Andrea continued, “We are pleased with our progress but will not stand still. We remain focused on our commitment to raise ESG standards across our business and wider value chain. We know this is critical to deliver a positive impact for the environment, society, and the economy, as well as generating more long-term value for all our stakeholders.”
EcoVadis is the world’s most trusted business-to-business sustainability rating. The platinum medal achieved by RS provides stakeholders with confidence in the company’s ESG approach. Many RS customers use EcoVadis to screen and select their strategic procurement partners, and RS in turn requests that its strategic supplier partners undertake an EcoVadis assessment as part of its ESG action plan. Currently, over 50% of RS suppliers by spend are EcoVadis screened with an average silver medal rating. This gives RS customers further confidence about the role RS plays in helping to ensure a responsible supply chain.
