EcoVadis bronze medal for Image Wear

Image Wear has been awarded the EcoVadis bronze medal. EcoVadis is one of the world’s leading sustainability assessment platforms, providing companies with tools and evaluations to enhance responsibility and sustainable development. With the EcoVadis assessment, we can demonstrate our level of sustainability efforts to our clients and partners. Going forward, an EcoVadis certification or assessment may become a prerequisite for partnerships and procurement, as it offers an objective and reliable way to evaluate the responsibility of suppliers and partners.

Kati Tukiainen, Image Wear’s Development Director, is pleased with the bronze medal, even though the silver achievement was disappointingly close: "We are happy with the bronze medal, even though we were only a few points away from silver. The report highlights our strengths and areas for improvement. With EcoVadis’ recommendations and suggested actions, we will continue our journey toward sustainable development.”

EcoVadis specializes in evaluating companies' performance in four key areas: environmental responsibility, labour and human rights, ethical practices, and sustainable procurement practices.

• Environmental responsibility: How well the company manages environmental risks, such as energy consumption, waste handling, and emission reduction.
• Labour and human rights: Employee rights, occupational safety, non-discrimination, and working conditions.
• Ethical practices: Company actions to prevent corruption, comply with competition laws, and engage in honest business practices
• Sustainable procurement:
• How well the company oversees and supports sustainability within its supply chain and collaboration with subcontractors.

EcoVadis assessment process

The EcoVadis assessment process comprises four phases: data collection, analysis, scoring and reporting, and improvement recommendations. EcoVadis gathers information based on the company’s industry, size, and geographic location, which is tailored into a questionnaire. In addition to responding to the questionnaire, companies provide various documents, such as action plans, reports, and certifications.

EcoVadis experts analyse the information received and compare it with best practices and industry standards. The assessment framework includes references such as the UN Global Compact, ISO 26000, International Labour Organization (ILO) agreements regulating global labour, and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), which defines how companies should report their sustainability practices and achievements

The company’s score is based on EcoVadis experts' analysis. Additionally, the company receives a detailed report outlining its strengths and areas for development. The report also includes recommendations and action plans to improve sustainability efforts.