Hamburg Süd has been awarded gold, the highest-possible recognition level, for its evaluation completed in July 2016 by the supply chain sustainability network EcoVadis.
The scorecard provided by independent sustainability expert EcoVadis indicates that Hamburg Süd has achieved advanced sustainability management practice. The gold rating is based on a detailed survey of the shipping group in four areas of corporate social responsibilty (CSR) and sustainability: “Environment,” “Labor Practices and Human Rights,” “Fair Business Practices,” and “Sustainable Procurement.”
Hamburg Süd received an above-average rating in all categories. In the category “Environment,” Hamburg Süd even set a new benchmark in the industry sector “Sea and coastal water transport” with the high score of 90 points. A particularly important aspect of the EcoVadis evaluation is energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Here Hamburg Süd has recorded significant successes in reaching its self-imposed environmental target to lower CO2e emissions by 45 percent by 2020. At the end of 2015, it had achieved a reduction of almost 35 percent compared to the 2009 base year.
Hamburg Süd told me, that they disclose the detailed EcoVadis Premium Report on their CSR performance to interested employees. Some might call that curageous, but Hamburg Süd simply is smart: Disclosing the report to the own employees allows the employees to scrutinize it with their insider knowledge. Other companies who received EcoVadis awards are afraid of that, but Hamburg Süd hasn’t anything to hide. Hamburg Süd’s willingness to disclose their report (not only the score card) gives credibility to their CSR reporting. Congratulations!