Introduction

As a business, we're always committed to continuously improving our methods for evaluating sustainability.

That's why today, we're excited to share a new change for how we assess business performance in sustainability and ESG.

To better reflect the nature of sustainability in practice, we've moved from a 1-5 star rating system to a three-level approach showcasing one's journey in sustainability: Getting Started, Making Progress, and Going Strong.

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Understanding the Levels

• Getting Started: Companies at this level are just beginning their sustainability journey with a few initial steps in place. (Stage 1/3)
• Making Progress: These companies have adopted several sustainable practices and are actively improving. (Stage 2/3)
• Going Strong: Sustainability leaders who fully integrate sustainable strategies into their operations. (Stage 3/3)

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What This Means for Companies

Our new levels system offers a fairer assessment of how well a company is performing in its sustainability efforts, allowing other to see sustainability as a journey rather, than a static position of stars.

Unlike the star system, which could portray a company as 'bad' if they are just starting out, the levels system show where companies are on their journey.

Why does this matter? Because a company at the 'Getting Started' level is exactly that – beginning its path toward sustainability and should be seen for its potential growth rather than judged negatively.

In Futureproof, when assessing your Suppliers, you can now see:

• The level your supplier is at (what they currently have in place in ESG)
• Any certifications or memberships they have in sustainability
• Notes for intent to get better (when the supplier completes the questionnaire, they can add details around where they are trying to get better)
• Evidence (in links to pages/docs) for all the initiatives they claim to be doing in sustainability)

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What This Means for Suppliers

From a supplier perspective, the new system provides several benefits.

Suppliers fill out our Supplier Free Tool, where they answer questions about their ESG practices.

The tool then gives them their level score and provides actionable steps for improvement and visibility into which companies have requested their information.

Suppliers can also choose to be visible on the open supplier list to all Futureproof companies.

This transparency helps suppliers see how they compare to others and offers opportunities for growth and recognition.

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Conclusion

We're excited about this updated assessment system for suppliers.

We believe it will bring more transparency and fairness to supplier management in ESG.

This change is aimed at helping more companies improve their practices for the benefit of people and the planet. By providing a clear and fair evaluation method, we hope to encourage all companies to progress on their sustainability journey and achieve greater heights in their environmental and social governance efforts.