13 Feb EcoVadis Platinum rating for the second year in a row
Index:
- What is the EcoVadis rating and what is it for?
- How does EcoVadis rate participating companies?
- Progress 2019 – 2023
- Our progress in 2024
At Rieusset, sustainability is a constant commitment. For the second consecutive year, we have obtained the EcoVadis Platinum rating, a recognition that places us among the top 1% of companies in terms of environmental responsibility, ethics, labor practices and sustainable procurement. In an interview with Jordi López, General Manager of Rieusset, about this milestone and the progress we have implemented in 2024, he shared with us his vision of the road we have traveled and the upcoming challenges in sustainability.
What does it mean for Rieusset to receive the EcoVadis Platinum medal for the second consecutive year?
Receiving the platinum medal is a recognition of the work we do at Rieusset to position ourselves as a company interested in developing the entire field of sustainability –understood from its three pillars: environmental, social and governance– with the aim of integrating all the challenges proposed by EcoVadis into our organization so that it becomes part of our daily work. Receiving it for the second consecutive year, even improving last year’s score by 10 points, is a source of satisfaction that indicates that our work is heading in the right direction. Even so, we must continue persevering in order to consolidate everything we do.
How have Rieusset’s teams been involved in these advances in sustainability?
Rieusset’s teams are fully integrated in the development of sustainability. Without their collaboration it would be impossible to do so. And when we talk about teams I want to mention that we are not only talking about the sustainability team led with great success by Joaquín Vidal, but also about all the departments of the company that are involved in one project or another. Sustainability, as well as occupational safety, food safety and quality are aspects that are included in the job description of all Rieusset employees.
There are now three Gerosa Group plants with the EcoVadis Platinum rating. What role does the Group play in Rieusset’s sustainability strategy?
First of all, I should mention that GEROSA is a group that has been very committed to sustainability for many years now, to the point that we have been carrying out the Sustainability Balance Sheet since 2018. Obviously, the strategy is marked by our headquarters in Inverigo (Italy), but at Rieusset we approach this challenge with a personal motivation to the point of going beyond what we are asked to do both from the group and from EcoVadis itself. In this quest for improvement, we not only use EcoVadis as a reference, but we also work with SEDEX and CDP.
What is the EcoVadis rating and what is it for?
The EcoVadis rating is a recognition awarded to companies that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). It is a platform that comprehensively assesses companies’ practices in the areas of the environment, human rights, ethics and the supply chain.
Via Premix Group
In 2023, EcoVadis has rated more than 100,000 companies from over 175 countries. According to the rating agency, “A growing number of Spanish companies are using our ratings and our platform to assess their sustainability performance and strengthen their ties with both regional and international clients. In 2022 alone, we conducted 1,200 assessments of companies of different sizes and sectors in Spain. This figure represented a 41% increase in the number of ratings compared to 2021, thus making Spain the fifth largest European country in terms of number of assessments.”
This rating is valuable as it helps companies demonstrate their commitment to sustainability to their stakeholders, such as customers, investors and business partners. In turn, earning an EcoVadis medal enhances a company’s reputation, market position and competitiveness, as more and more purchasing departments are turning to this data to measure and compare the performance of suppliers and business partners who can help them achieve their sustainability goals.
At the same time, more and more consumers value sustainable and ethical brand practices, and these medals help them to discern between truly sustainable brands and those that are merely greenwashing.
How does EcoVadis rate participating companies?
EcoVadis evaluates companies using a methodology that covers 21 key criteria distributed in four sustainability areas: environment, labor practices and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. The assessment is based on documented evidence and is tailored to more than 220 industry categories in 180 countries, covering companies of all sizes.
The overall score, which ranges from 0 to 100, reflects the quality of the company’s sustainability management system at the time of the assessment. Recognition medals are awarded based on the company’s percentile ranking compared to all those assessed in the EcoVadis database over the past 12 months. To be eligible for a medal, a company must achieve a minimum score of 30 in each of the four topics evaluated.
The recognition levels are as follows:
- Platinum: top 1% (99th percentile or higher)
- Gold: top 5% (95th percentile or higher)
- Silver: top 15% (85th percentile or higher)
- Bronze: top 35% (65th percentile or higher)
Via Ecovadis
In this context, Rieusset has once again obtained the Platinum medal, placing it in the exclusive 1% of the more than 130,000 companies evaluated by EcoVadis that have achieved the highest scores.
Progress 2019 - 2023
Rieusset has participated in the EcoVadis rating since 2019, achieving a continuous improvement in the overall results and in almost all indicators:
But it was not until this year's assessment, which measures performance in 2022, that Joaquín Vidal, Rieusset's sustainability manager, said: "We have achieved a result that places us in the top 1% of the companies that have reported the best scores in the questionnaire, which means we have achieved the maximum score, or "Platinum Medal", and what I think is more important, we are continuing to improve."
This milestone is particularly remarkable considering that each year there are more companies being assessed, which makes it difficult to enter the top 1% that is recognized with the Platinum medal.
Progress 2019 - 2023
Rieusset has participated in the EcoVadis rating since 2019, achieving a continuous improvement in the overall results and in almost all indicators:
But it was not until this year's assessment, which measures performance in 2022, that Joaquín Vidal, Rieusset's sustainability manager, said: "We have achieved a result that places us in the top 1% of the companies that have reported the best scores in the questionnaire, which means we have achieved the maximum score, or "Platinum Medal", and what I think is more important, we are continuing to improve."
This milestone is particularly remarkable considering that each year there are more companies being assessed, which makes it difficult to enter the top 1% that is recognized with the Platinum medal.
Our progress in 2024
For the second consecutive year, Rieusset has earned EcoVadis’ Platinum rating, the highest recognition in corporate sustainability. This achievement reflects our continued commitment and effort to environmental responsibility, labor and human rights practices, ethics and sustainable procurement.
In 2024 we implemented the following initiatives to further improve in each of these areas:
Environment
- Definition of Group environmental and sustainability policies
- Establishment of new targets to reduce the carbon footprint
- Implementation of monitoring processes to evaluate progress in the reduction of our carbon footprint
- Development of a procedure for calculating the carbon footprint of manufactured products
- Definition of specific policies for water management, energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Labor practices and human rights
- Creation of Group policies to ensure respect for human rights and improvement of working conditions
- Implementation of measures to promote gender equality, as reflected in our annual equality report
- Review and reinforcement of actions focused on improving working conditions
- Greater transparency and accuracy in reporting on labor practices and human rights
Ethics
- Development of new Group policies on key issues such as anti-corruption, conflict of interest, fraud, fair competition and information security
- Optimization of business ethics reporting to ensure greater traceability and commitment
Sustainable procurement
- Definition of Group policies to ensure a sustainable approach to procurement
- Creation of specific guidelines on the responsible sourcing of wood and wood-based products
- Design of actions to promote diversity in the supply chain
- Strengthening the quality of sustainable procurement reporting
At Rieusset, sustainability is a fundamental pillar of our strategy. Obtaining the EcoVadis Platinum medal for the second time is a recognition of the effort and dedication of our entire team, who work every day to achieve the highest standards in corporate responsibility. We are proud of this achievement and will continue to work hard to promote sustainability and be a benchmark in the industry.
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