GMS is pleased to announce that we have been awarded a silver medal for our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by EcoVadis. EcoVadis is an international ratings agency that assesses a number of sustainability metrics central to the GSMA’s efforts to support sustainable development, such as environmental responsibility, ethical governance, and employee wellbeing.
These measures are key to driving growth that is both responsible and sustainable, helping to improve environmental and working conditions around the world. By submitting themselves to voluntary CSR scrutiny like that offered by EcoVadis, companies demonstrate that they hold themselves to a higher standard and can prove their worth to clients looking for ethical and sustainable service provision. As EcoVadis themselves point out: “industry leaders … [are] all working with a single methodology to evaluate, collaborate and improve sustainability performance in order to protect their brands, foster transparency and innovation, and accelerate growth.”
EcoVadis’ assessment considers a range of CSR issues, which are grouped into 4 themes: Environment, Labor Practices & Human Rights, Fair Business Practices, and Sustainable Procurement. These are evaluated with a survey tailored to a company’s country, sector, and size; by gathering public and stakeholder information; as well as an assessment of the company’s corporate policies. By incorporating and accounting for existing standards and labels (International Organization for Standardization (ISO), UN Global Compact, and so on) these scores provide detailed insight into environmental, social and ethical risks and performance across many key measures.
EcoVadis conducts a reassessment every year, which not only ensures the integrity of the rating system, but also allows (and encourages) companies to work on their score and see how they are improving. Olga Velgus, GMS’ Chief Marketing Officer, observes: “These ratings help us improve our business and work to benefit our clients and wider society. GMS is pleased to have achieved the silver medal rating, but we are keen to continue improving and further demonstrate our leadership in this area.”