Sustainability starts with ourselves, but together we can achieve more.
Taking responsibility has always been an essential part of usd's mission "more security". But also beyond this, usd Heroes has been committed for many years to issues that are important to us outside our core mission. Research and education, social commitment and sustainability are important components of our aspirations and actions.
Since 2021, we have bundled these initiatives of usd in a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR for short) management system in order to be able to specifically identify further measures for improvement. In addition to guidelines for our own actions, with the usd Code of Ethics and Conduct we have also regulated the principles in cooperation with our partners and suppliers. In 2022 the first usd sustainability report was published, summarizing our sustainability strategy and initiatives.
In May 2022 we decided to have our Corporate Social Responsibility Management System evaluated by the CSR rating company EcoVadis in order to obtain independent feedback on the quality of our work and further recommendations for action. In this initial assessment usd was awarded the silver medal, placing us among the top 25 percent of companies assessed by EcoVadis. Our performance was assessed in the sub-areas of environment, labor and human rights, sustainable procurement and ethics.
"We are very pleased to receive this award, which is truly amazing for a company of our size in the initial assessment. It's a great achievement by many of those who continually contribute to us. But the EcoVadis rating is also an important signal when working with our customers, as it allows them to easily demonstrate responsible sourcing in their CSR systems. Our next goal is to achieve the "Gold Medal" award, which is only a few rating points away," reports Andrea Tubach, Member of the usd Executive Board.
About EcoVadis
EcoVadis has been evaluating the environmental and social practices of companies since 2007. In this way, the globally active provider of sustainability ratings supports the efforts of companies to operate sustainably and comply with high social standards. To date, the company has certified over 90,000 companies worldwide.
