Sedex: Enhancing ESG Credentials Within Supply Chains

In an era where environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations are paramount, global technology company Sedex is taking significant strides to revolutionise supply chain visibility.

The company has introduced three groundbreaking data-driven tools designed to empower businesses in addressing evolving ESG challenges, with a particular focus on Scope 3 emissions – almost always the largest contributor to a company's greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint.

Jon Hancock, CEO at Sedex, emphasises the critical nature of these advancements: "By expanding our solutions for comprehensive supply chain ESG risk management and globally scalable, site-level visibility, we enable companies to enhance their operational efficiency, compliance readiness and supply chain resilience."

Unprecedented insight 

The complexity and vastness of modern supply chains pose significant challenges for organisations striving to track and manage their environmental impact.

Recognising this, Sedex's new offerings aim to provide unprecedented insights into the intricate web of global supply networks.

"Our latest advancements provide more in-depth ESG data, streamlined analysis and actionable insights across social and environmental areas, supporting our customers to respond to multiple sustainability-related demands through data-led decision-making," Hancock explains.

At the forefront of Sedex's new suite is the Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA), updated to version 7.0. 

As the world's most widely adopted audit for improving working conditions and environmental performance across businesses and their supply chains, SMETA's latest iteration represents a significant leap forward.

The result of a multi-year development project, SMETA 7.0 offers a more focused assessment methodology, designed to uncover hard-to-detect issues at supply chain worksites, identify root causes and facilitate collaborative resolution strategies.

Complementing this is the newly-released Environment Self-Assessment Questionnaire (ESAQ). This tool marks a substantial expansion of Sedex's environmental data capabilities, allowing businesses to collect, share and analyse crucial environmental information through the company's platform.

The ESAQ is poised to become an essential resource for organisations looking to gain a comprehensive understanding of their environmental impact across the entire supply chain.

What's more, recognising the unique challenges faced by service providers within supply chains, Sedex has introduced the Service Provider Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ).

This tailored tool addresses the specific risk and compliance needs of sectors such as logistics, security and waste management – areas often overlooked but crucial components of a truly sustainable supply chain.

Sedex: A supply chain sustainability leader

Sedex, the world's largest data platform for supply chain assessment, is revolutionising the way businesses approach sustainability in their global operations.

With a client base that includes 10% of Fortune 500 companies, Sedex's innovative solutions are making waves across industries, benefiTting an estimated 28 million workers worldwide.

At the heart of Sedex's offering is a robust platform built on two decades of knowledge and data insights, underpinned by an impressive tally of 370,000 conducted audits.

This wealth of experience positions Sedex as a leader in supply chain sustainability, with a unique emphasis on balancing social and environmental considerations.

Steven Esom, Chair of the Sedex Board, highlights the company's evolution: "Over the last 20 years, Sedex has provided businesses with the tools to build ever-greater knowledge of the places, people and practices in their supply chains. Our members now look to us to aid them across the wider sustainability agenda."

The company's commitment to innovation and growth was recently bolstered by securing funding from LDC, a private equity investor that forms part of Lloyds Banking Group. This strategic partnership is set to accelerate Sedex's global expansion and enhance its ability to meet the evolving needs of clients.

Ross Heritage, CTO at Sedex, adds: "This is an important milestone in the journey for Sedex as this allows us to accelerate the delivery of our product roadmap and provide a greater range of services to our members."

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