Sustainability’s Next Chapter
As the EcoVadis SUSTAIN Summit in Paris came to a close this week, one message emerged clearly from conversations across the conference, the award submissions, and the jury deliberations.
Sustainable operations are no longer optional — they are a strategic imperative for navigating an increasingly volatile and uncertain world.
Serving as a juror for the Sustainable Procurement Leadership Awards for the fifth year has provided a vantage point few people have: reviewing sustainability programs from companies across industries and geographies and seeing firsthand how global organizations are evolving their operating models.
This year, one shift became unmistakably clear.
The future of sustainability leadership will not be defined by commitments.
It will be defined by resilience.
For more than a decade, sustainability leadership was measured by ambitious targets and public commitments. While those milestones helped accelerate progress, the operating environment facing companies today has fundamentally changed.
Global supply chains are navigating an era defined by geopolitical reshuffling, climate disruption, regulatory pressure, technological acceleration, and rising expectations around human rights and transparency.
Consider just a few signals shaping this new reality:
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80% of CEOs are actively redesigning their supply chains in response to geopolitical and economic shifts (PwC CEO Survey).
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Climate-related disruptions could cost companies more than $120 billion annually by 2030 if risks remain unaddressed (CDP).
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Yet only 4% of CEOs currently include nature-related risks in their core business discussions (World Economic Forum).
In this environment, leadership is no longer about declaring goals.
It is about building systems capable of operating through uncertainty.
Defining Resilience
Resilience has quickly become the new language of sustainability, but it is often used without a clear definition.
In the context of global supply chains, resilience means the ability to:
anticipate risk → mitigate exposure → adapt to disruption → respond intelligently in real time.
This requires a combination of strong supplier partnerships, operational discipline, and emerging technologies — all guided by human judgment where it matters most.
Resilience is not simply about preventing disruption.
It is about building organizations capable of navigating disruption while continuing to create value.
In other words, sustainability is evolving from a set of commitments into an operating model for managing risk, strengthening partnerships, and enabling long-term growth.
What the Jury Looked For
The Sustainable Procurement Leadership Awards bring together an international jury of experts to evaluate programs from companies around the world.
This year’s jury included Laura Taal-Groeneveld, Elsa Savourey, and Divya Kapasi Demato, CEO of GoodOps.
Across submissions spanning multiple industries and geographies, several themes consistently emerged among the strongest programs.
Leading companies are focusing their efforts in three critical areas:
Human Rights
Programs that move beyond compliance to address living wages, worker voice, and supplier capability building are emerging as powerful drivers of resilience.
Human rights is increasingly becoming an area of competitive advantage, as companies recognize that resilient supply chains depend on empowered and stable workforces.
Net-Zero Transformation
Decarbonization strategies are increasingly integrated directly into procurement decisions and supplier engagement models, reflecting the reality that the majority of corporate emissions sit within supply chains.
Regenerative Supply Chains
Organizations are beginning to rethink supply chains not simply as extractive systems, but as ecosystems capable of restoring natural capital and strengthening long-term resource security.
But what ultimately distinguished the strongest submissions was not the ambition of their commitments.
It was the evidence of action.
The companies that stood out were those demonstrating real operational progress — embedding sustainability directly into supplier relationships, governance systems, and business strategy.
Recognizing This Year’s Leaders
Two companies stood out this year for demonstrating how sustainability leadership translates into operational resilience.
Schneider Electric, recognized in the Mature Program category, illustrated the power of sustained commitment over time. Their work demonstrates how responsible procurement, when embedded into the fabric of an organization, can produce measurable results and long-term impact.
The Emerging Program winner, Siegwerk Druckfarben, impressed the jury with the speed and seriousness of their journey from vision to execution. Sustainability practices have already been embedded across their supply chain, supported by a strong culture of transparency and continuous improvement.
What particularly distinguished both organizations was their focus on human rights as a strategic priority.
From advancing living wage initiatives to strengthening worker voice and investing in supplier training and workshops, these companies are demonstrating that social impact is not separate from business performance — it is a foundation for long-term resilience.
Peeling Back the Curtain
Following the awards, Divya Kapasi Demato moderated a deep dive session with the winners titled:
“Peeling Back the Curtain: Inside the Leadership Playbook for Sustainable Procurement.”
What made the conversation particularly valuable was its honesty.
There were no buzzwords or polished talking points.
Instead, the discussion revealed the real decisions, trade-offs, and long-term strategies behind award-winning programs.
Several lessons emerged.
The Big Pivot
Many of the most important strategic decisions companies made were not framed as bold risks.
They were framed as common-sense business strategy.
Sustainability was integrated directly into operational decision-making rather than treated as a parallel initiative.
Suppliers as Partners
The strongest programs treat suppliers as partners in innovation and capability building.
Rather than imposing compliance requirements alone, these companies collaborate closely with suppliers — recognizing varying maturity levels and building phased roadmaps for progress.
The goal is not to penalize suppliers, but to bring them along on the journey.
Human Rights and Real Impact
Traditional audit models often fail to detect deeper systemic issues within supply chains.
Leading companies are therefore combining audit frameworks with long-term supplier partnerships that allow challenges to be addressed collaboratively when they arise.
This approach enables organizations to address root causes rather than simply shifting risk elsewhere.
A Broader Shift in Supply Chain Leadership
One of the most powerful moments during the conference came from reflections shared by Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever.
He emphasized that procurement and supply chain leaders have a unique opportunity to shape the future of global business.
For decades, procurement has largely been defined by cost efficiency and operational execution.
Today, it sits at the center of nearly every major global challenge — from geopolitical realignment and climate disruption to technological transformation and regulatory change.
Procurement leaders understand complex systems.
They maintain deep relationships with suppliers.
And they often see emerging risks before they materialize.
Which means they are uniquely positioned to drive innovation and transformation across global value chains.
The question now is simple:
Who is willing to step up and lead?
Technology and the Rise of the Autonomous Supply Chain
Another theme that surfaced repeatedly during SUSTAIN was the growing role of technology in enabling resilient supply chains.
Speakers from organizations including EcoVadis and Accenture described a future in which supply chains become increasingly autonomous, agentic, and augmented.
In this vision, companies will be able to continuously detect risk, predict disruptions, and resolve issues in real time — creating what many are beginning to call “self-healing supply chains.”
But technology alone is not the answer.
Resilient supply chains will require organizations to:
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automate what should be automated
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maintain human judgment for critical decisions
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make trade-offs explicit at the moment decisions are made
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redefine supplier relationships from compliance to co-creation
Ultimately, technology will scale the logic we give it.
Which means the systems we build must reflect a broader understanding of stakeholders — including the planet and future generations.
Imagining the Future
One idea echoed across multiple conversations at SUSTAIN.
If we want to build a different future, we must first be willing to imagine it.
Vision often comes before spreadsheets.
It requires leaders who are willing to think differently about how systems can work — and who are prepared to act even in the face of uncertainty.
Because leadership, ultimately, is defined by the willingness to move forward before all the answers are known.
Gratitude
Thank you to EcoVadis for convening this global community and for continuing to elevate the companies turning ambition into action.
Congratulations again to Schneider Electric and Siegwerk Druckfarben for demonstrating what leadership in sustainable procurement looks like in practice.
And thank you to the fellow jurors, speakers, and participants whose insights continue pushing this work forward.
The progress is real, and the work ahead is more important than ever.
EcoVadis Sustain 2026
🇫🇷 GoodOps in Paris: 5 Years on the Jury at EcoVadis SUSTAIN
Ecovadis 2022 Sustainable Procurement Leadership Award Winners
PARIS & NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–EcoVadis, the world’s most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings, today announces the winners of its sixth annual Sustainable Procurement Leadership Awards program. Winners were announced at the EcoVadis Sustain 2022 virtual conference.
The EcoVadis Sustainable Procurement Leadership Awards recognize companies who are leading the charge in engaging and integrating sustainability into their relationships with trading partners around the globe.
“Each year our nominees exemplify what it means to drive positive environmental and social change through their sustainable procurement initiatives,” said Pierre-François Thaler, Co-CEO, EcoVadis. “While every nominee is making great strides within their sustainability journeys, this year’s program winners stand out for the exceptional progress they are making to create a more sustainable future for our planet and its people.”
Winners were selected based on their EcoVadis scorecards published in 2021. This year’s nominees were evaluated on strategy and approach, procurement integration, scale and coverage, and program results across three main categories:
Best Value Chain Engagement
Winners: Schneider Electric, and W.R. Grace
This award was given to two companies. It acknowledges excellence in engaging trading partners in sustainability initiatives and honors best-in-class examples of driving internal engagement to roll out global sustainable procurement programs.
The award was selected by an independent jury panel comprised of industry experts: Brigitte Monsou Tantawi, Former Director of Sustainable Value Chain of WBCSD; Divya Demato, CEO of GoodOps; and Sarah O’Brien, CEO of Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council.
The jury panel noted key attributes leading to Schneider Electric’s winning selection, including an integrated Supplier Sustainability Program (SSP) strategy and engagement, contribution to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a focus on working conditions and human rights, strong and sustainable supplier relationships, and more.
Dan Bartel, Chief Procurement Officer, Schneider Electric
“Sustainability is at the core of our mission and purpose, and our global supply chain plays a central role in Schneider Electric’s decarbonization strategy. The Zero Carbon Project is how we are engaging our top 1,000 suppliers to enable climate action. By creating this community of suppliers, they can benefit from best practice sharing as well as get access to our energy management and sustainability expertise. Our suppliers are able to reduce their carbon emissions and we in turn reduce our Tier 3 emissions — it’s a win-win. We are delighted and humbled with this recognition from EcoVadis.”
The jury panel also recognized W.R. Grace for its ambitious goals aligned with the United Nations’ SDGs, top management support and program leadership to cascade sustainability criteria into functions, processes and performance, creation of a Global Responsible Sourcing Committee, alignment with the Grace Responsible Mineral Approach with OECD Due Diligence standards, and more.
Chris Schult, VP of Strategic Sourcing, W.R. Grace
“Responsible Sourcing is a key pillar advancing Grace’s global sustainability objectives. Working with EcoVadis enables us to engage with our global value chain in ways that were simply not possible before. This engagement allows Grace to ensure that our raw materials are sourced responsibly and that our suppliers meet the highest standards of transparency thereby building both a responsible and resilient supply chain.”
Read the full profiles of the expert jury members and details on the key attributes of these winning programs here.
Outstanding Program Leadership
Winners: Brad Adams (John Deere), and Yannick Haven (Auchan Retail)
This award recognizes individuals with outstanding contribution to driving a sustainable procurement initiative forward within their company. The award is nominated and selected by the EcoVadis team based on sustainable procurement program results and demonstrated excellence in program strategy and execution.
Regarding Brad Adams, Compliance and Sustainability Manager, John Deere
“We are honored to accept the Outstanding Program Leadership award from EcoVadis, recognizing the outstanding efforts of Brad Adams and our Supply Chain Sustainability team. John Deere is committed to delivering outcomes to all stakeholders that are both more economic and more sustainable through our Smart Industrial strategy and recently launched business and sustainability goals. Our suppliers are a critical part of our journey to unlocking the innovation necessary to provide more sustainable solutions and technologies to our customers.” Jill Sanchez, Director of Sustainability, Deere & Company. Learn more about their goals and program here.
Yannick Haven, Indirect Purchasing Director, Auchan Retail
“On behalf of the whole Indirect Purchasing team of Auchan Retail, it’s a great honor to receive this award from Ecovadis. This award is a recognition for all the hard work that has been done already, and clearly demonstrates the positive impact of our Global sustainable procurement program. A warm thank you to all our purchasing and CSR teams worldwide, which all contributed to that success. Also, thank you to EcoVadis for your dedication in improving sustainability in our supply chain, and beyond, to our wide community of trusted suppliers and partners.”
Best Portfolio Performance Improvement
This award is granted to companies who demonstrate the highest percentage of rated companies improving their sustainability performance. This category was not open for submissions and was instead granted based on the EcoVadis data.
Dave Ingram, Chief Procurement Officer, Unilever
“Unilever is pleased to share this award and achievement with both EcoVadis and our suppliers, in recognition of the partnership and collaboration required to make improvements to our supply chain. Our Responsible Sourcing Policy is the fundamental starting point for Unilever’s ambition to make sustainable living commonplace, and Ecovadis supports this journey by helping to identify where our partners can improve and progress on environmental and social commitments. Ultimately this award is the result of the hard work of our partners, so a big thank you, and congratulations to all our suppliers for your efforts.”
Sandro Avila, Operational Planning, Logistics and Supply Chain Director, Klabin
“It is an honor to be granted the Best Portfolio Performance Improvement award by EcoVadis, which has become a key partner in advancing the sustainability agenda. This award demonstrates the Company’s investments for a renewable future, such as the implementation of the Sustainable Supply Chain Management Program, which helps and fosters our suppliers in advancing with responsible socio-environmental practices. To EcoVadis, thank you very much for your support in improving sustainability in our supply chain.”
In addition to these awards, EcoVadis also recognizes a selection of small- and medium-sized rated companies (i.e., suppliers and trading partners) across the globe who achieved exceptionally high performance in their EcoVadis rating in the past year. Learn more on the EcoVadis 2022 Sustainability Leadership Awards page.
About EcoVadis
EcoVadis is the world’s most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings. Global supply chains, financial institutions and public organizations rely on EcoVadis to monitor and improve the sustainability performance of their business and trading partners. Backed by a powerful technology platform, EcoVadis’ evidence-based ratings are validated by a global team of experts, and are adapted to more than 200 industry categories, 160 countries, and companies of all sizes. Its actionable scorecards provide benchmarks, insights, and a guided improvement journey for environmental, social and ethical practices. Industry leaders such as Amazon, Johnson & Johnson, L’Oréal, Unilever, LVMH, Salesforce, Bridgestone, BASF, and ING Group are among the 90,000 businesses that collaborate with EcoVadis to drive resilience, sustainable growth and positive impact worldwide. Learn more on ecovadis.com, Twitter or LinkedIn.
A Business Case for Sustainability
Pierre-Francois Thaler, Co-founder and Co-CEO of EcoVadis, perfectly articulates the new business imperative – sustainable supply chains – in his piece in Future of Sourcing, “The Growing Business Criticality of a Sustainable Supply Chain.”
Key insights include:
- 88% of studies found companies adhering to social or environmental standards showed better operational performance, with 80% showing a positive impact on stock performance.
- Sustainably minded shoppers will spend $150 billion on sustainable products by next year. That’s $14-22 billion more compared to prior years, pointing to new sales opportunities for businesses that prioritize sustainability in product devleopment.
- Sustainable supply chain practices reduce costs by 9-16% and create a 15-30% increase in brand value. 73% of CEOs report sustainable business builds trust and reputation.
- Ignoring ESG exposes investments to huge risks and erodes returns. This behavior has wiped out $534bn of valuation in the last five years.
Read more here: https://bit.ly/2NT6xM8