EcoVadis: Improving Supply Chain Transparency with Ulula
EcoVadis, a global leader in sustainability intelligence, has acquired Ulula, a tech company focused on enhancing working conditions in supply chains.
This strategic move strengthens EcoVadis' platform, enabling it to deliver more comprehensive data on labour and human rights practices, in line with rising regulatory expectations.
Founded in 2007, EcoVadis serves over 130,000 businesses across 180 countries, providing tools for sustainability ratings, risk management, carbon tracking and more.
Ulula, a certified B-Corporation since 2015, specialises in human rights data and works with over 150 businesses across 70 countries, impacting more than four million workers worldwide.
Responding to evolving regulations
The acquisition comes at a time when supply chain regulations are tightening, especially around human rights and labour standards.
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), 63% of the 28 million people trapped in forced labour globally work in the private sector. This has prompted governments to introduce stricter regulations that demand greater accountability from businesses.
Key regulations include:
- The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD)
- The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)
- Various modern slavery acts
- The EU Forced Labour Regulation
- The US Tariff Act of 1930, Section 307
These laws require businesses to establish grievance mechanisms and verify their sustainability practices across their supply chains. Non-compliance can lead to significant penalties, such as fines of up to 5% of global turnover under the CSDDD.
EcoVadis’ Co-CEO Pierre-François Thaler recognises the importance of this acquisition, stating, "With the acquisition of Ulula, EcoVadis will be well positioned to integrate and scale up supply chain labour and human rights risk due diligence, meeting customer demands for on-the-ground, verifiable data.
"This complements our in-depth ratings expertise and bolsters our offering to help companies around the world comply with new regulations.”
How Ulula enhances EcoVadis' capabilities
Ulula’s platform brings direct, recurring feedback from workers and communities about labour and human rights conditions in supply chains.
This acquisition enables EcoVadis to fill crucial gaps in traditional monitoring systems, which often fail to capture the real-time insights needed for effective human rights management.
Ulula's platform offers several key features:
- Recurring surveys with larger, more diverse workforce samples
- An anonymous third-party system ensuring user confidentiality
- Access across devices, tailored to cultural and language needs
This detailed data collection will be integrated into EcoVadis’ existing dashboards and grievance management systems.
By merging Ulula’s advanced worker data with EcoVadis' established sustainability analytics, businesses will gain a clearer, more accurate view of their supply chain operations.
Antoine Heuty, Ulula's founder, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership: “Ulula and EcoVadis share an ambition to confront and accelerate progress on the devastating scope of threats to human rights.
"Joining forces will enable us to combine Ulula’s direct labour and human rights data collection and reliable insights with EcoVadis’ global reach and expertise.”
Building a solution for the future
EcoVadis and Ulula are already looking ahead to how their combined expertise can shape the future of supply chain management.
The plan is to offer a unified product that aligns with new regulatory requirements, providing businesses with both insights and solutions to address human rights risks in their supply chains.
The enhanced visibility into workforce practices will allow companies to mitigate risks more effectively, especially as they face increasing regulatory scrutiny.
The collaboration promises to drive greater transparency and accountability, helping businesses navigate the complex landscape of supply chain regulations.
As both Heuty and Thaler agree, the acquisition signals a major advancement in the global fight for human rights and fair labour practices.
By combining EcoVadis’ broad sustainability platform with Ulula’s deep worker insights, the partnership provides a powerful tool for businesses seeking to comply with new laws and manage their supply chains more responsibly.
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