Almost three-quarters of retailers are now asking suppliers about sustainability and environmental, social and governance issues (ESG) when making buying decisions.
Some 40% of UK manufacturers say customers raised the issues and a third say some clients had asked, according to the latest BFA Trade and Price Trends Survey.
Just over a quarter (26.7%) said customers did not request ESG or sustainability accreditation.
The survey also found that about a third of companies are assessing ESG internally, a quarter utilised ISO14001 and one in 20 used Planet Mark.
‘The initial response to the ESG questions within the survey show the impact that sustainability expectations are having on client decision-making. The survey shows that already, ESG is shifting away from being a nice-to-have to, increasingly, becoming a commercial reality,’ says Phil Spademan, BFA md.
‘BFA’s ESG agenda is structured around reducing confusion, building capability and moving from compliance towards leadership. There are dedicated online resources which include an evaluation tool designed to help members assess their current progress and identify the next steps in their ESG journey,’ says Richard Naylor, BFA ESG consultant.
