From commitment to recognition: SARIA’s journey to EcoVadis Gold

What does sustainability mean for SARIA? 🌍

At SARIA, the circular economy is the cornerstone of our business model. Sustainability has been ingrained in our DNA for more than 50 years, fueling our passion. We collect and process products of animal origin and other organic substances, converting them into valuable input materials for new purposes. Our industry is dedicated to driving safety, security and sustainability in manifold ways. At SARIA, we pursue a holistic understanding of sustainability and are convinced that economic, social and environmental responsibility go hand in hand – with one dimension strengthening the other. As a family-owned business, we believe that it is our responsibility to not only pass on a viable business to the next generation, but also a world worth living in. Responsibility for future generations is not possible without being accountable to our internal and external stakeholders here and now. Thus, acting sustainably is not only an imperative from an internal perspective, but also an increasing requirement from various stakeholders such as customers, suppliers, employees, authorities, or financial institutions.

Being accountable for sustainability: EcoVadis partnership since 2016 🤝

In order to regularly take account of our sustainability efforts and make them visible to our business partners and all interested parties, SARIA introduced a Group-wide assessment from EcoVadis, one of the world's largest providers of sustainability ratings. Since the start of our partnership with EcoVadis in 2016, we have reflected our commitment to transparent and responsible sustainability practices. Over the years, we have undergone annual assessments, continuously refining our approach to sustainability management and thus elevating our performance.

👉 This is evidenced by the Gold Medal we received in our latest assessments, which puts us in the top 5 % of all companies rated by EcoVadis worldwide.

EcoVadis Assessment Methodology 💡

By assessing company's efforts in four areas, EcoVadis provides a comprehensive overview of its sustainability performance. The methodology reflects comprehensive, professional sustainability management and is therefore a very good indicator of a company’s level of maturity in this respect. Over 130,000 organizations in more than 175 countries rely on EcoVadis ratings to guide their sustainability strategies and demonstrate transparency to stakeholders. By covering and differentially assessing the four themes – Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement – the rating reflects the holistic approach to sustainability that we take and allows a representative evaluation.

Their evaluation framework is based on 21 criteria across the four critical themes differentiated in seven management indicators. Every management indicator is rated per theme based on attached documents which need to prove our achievements.

Path to Gold: A story of continuous improvement 🏆

Since implementing the EcoVadis assessment in 2016, SARIA has continuously improved its sustainability practices reflected in our assessment. Initially awarded no medal at all, it was enough reason for us to use the detailed feedback from EcoVadis next to our internal analysis to identify opportunities for enhancement.  This enabled us to improve step by step until we were awarded the Gold Medal in 2024.

Across all themes, we systematically strengthened our policies, deepened collaboration with our stakeholders, and embedded environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles into our sustainability practices. Interested in some examples? In 2021, we published a sustainability report for the first time. Since then, we have disclosed one annually, which is also externally validated in accordance with GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) Sustainability Reporting Standards. Furthermore, we have built up a comprehensive group-wide reporting system for non-financial data. Moreover, we have launched a group-wide program against the background of the SCDDA (Supply Chain Due Diligence Act) for human rights in own operations and along the value chain.

💚 All this was only possible thanks to strong international cooperation with the network of specialist departments and international sustainability managers and coordinators. This team enabled us to jointly implement various initiatives, programs and individual measures. The result proves us right: EcoVadis Gold Medal!

The significance of a Gold Medal 🏅

The Gold Medal is a powerful statement describing the achievements and developments of our sustainability management over the past years. The Gold Medal positions SARIA as a frontrunner in sustainability within our sector, but also beyond: by having 76 points, we are placed among the top 5 % of all companies assessed by EcoVadis in the past year. With this external proof, it builds confidence among our stakeholders including customers, suppliers and employees. In an increasingly conscious market, this recognition sets us apart from our competitors and positions us as a responsible employer. And even more: We have linked our ESG performance and the financial terms investors offer us. In practice, this means that the better our sustainability performance, the more favorable the interest rate we are granted. By doing so, the majority of our financing is already ESG-linked, proofing our commitment to sustainability.

"Achieving the Gold Medal in 2024 for the first time is a significant milestone in our sustainability journey. It reflects the progress we have made, not only within our operations but also in fostering sustainability throughout our value chain. This advancement reflects years of hard work, transformation and a company-wide commitment to responsible business practices." - Simone Thiemann, Director Group Sustainability

What is ahead of us? 🌟

While the Gold Medal is a significant milestone we are particularly proud of, we see it as a steppingstone rather than a final destination. Even in the future we continue improving and expanding our sustainability activities to contribute to a more sustainable future. With the big challenges ahead like climate change, rapid pace of transformation or increasing legal demands, we have a long and complex road to go. With our actions, we try to be prepared for every chance and risk that we will face and maintain a long-term perspective. To achieve and improve all this, we need to pull together not only within SARIA, but also with our business partners and further stakeholders to live up to our vision “together towards a sustainable world and healthier living”.

Join us on our Sustainability journey! 📣 You can find more information about our activities – our annual sustainability reports, our circular economy model and more - at SARIA.com. Stay up to date - follow us on LinkedIn!