EPAT recently released its newest platform iteration, EPAT 4.1, to help buyers and suppliers of paper-based products share their corporate sustainability initiatives, in addition to pulp and paper mill site environmental performance. This update added several key categories, including the increasingly popular EcoVadis sustainability ratings.

The EcoVadis sustainability assessment methodology is an evaluation of how well a company has integrated the principles of sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) into their business. This blog series will cover each of the new additions to EPAT 4.1, starting with EcoVadis.

EPAT: A Legacy of Sustainability in the Paper Industry

For over 15 years, EPAT has served as a critical tool for North American buyers of paper-based products, enabling them to evaluate the sustainability of their pulp, paper and packaging suppliers by manufacturing site (mill site). By assessing over 30 performance indicators at each site, EPAT provides detailed insights into the lifecycle of paper or packaging products, helping companies make informed decisions that align with their environmental goals.

EcoVadis: A Global Leader in Sustainability Ratings

EcoVadis is a recognized provider of business sustainability ratings, with a network of over 130,000 rated companies. Their methodology evaluates companies on over twenty-one performance indicators across four key themes: Environment, Labor and Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement. Participating companies are scored (0 to 100) for each category and they also receive an overall score. EcoVadis Medals and Badges recognize eligible companies that have completed the assessment process and demonstrated a relatively strong management system that addresses sustainability criteria. The typical rankings are as follows:

Platinum - Top 1% (99+ percentile)

Gold - Top 5% (95+ percentile)

Silver - Top 15% (85+ percentile)

Bronze - Top 35% (65+ percentile)

It should be noted that this ranking covers entire corporations - it is not specific to individual manufacturing sites where products are manufactured. EPAT, on the other hand, drills down into the sustainability performance of individual manufacturing sites.

The inclusion of EcoVadis ratings into EPAT 4.1 brings an additional sustainability metric to the platform. Suppliers are required to provide a score of 0 to 5 based on their Ecovadis ranking and upload their summary report.

Industry Examples

UPM, Billerud and Sappi, all EPAT partner companies, have each been awarded the prestigious Platinum rating from Ecovadis, placing them in the top 1% of all 130,000 companies assessed globally. This recognition highlights their strong performance across key sustainability categories, including Environment, Labor and Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement.

These companies use Ecovadis ratings to benchmark progress and drive continuous improvement, and to enhance both their own and their customers’ corporate social responsibility performance.

A Complementary Addition to EPAT

EcoVadis evaluates entire corporations across multiple dimensions, adding insights into areas like social responsibility and ethical governance. This type of corporate-level assessment complements EPAT’s site-specific environmental focus and empowers buyers of paper-based products to make more informed procurement decisions.

For more information on EPAT, go to www.epat.org