Turning Complexity into Opportunity: Insights from the EcoVadis World Tour London 2025

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The London stop of the EcoVadis World Tour 2025 brought together sustainability, procurement and ESG leaders from across industries to explore a powerful theme: turning complexity into opportunity.

As climate impacts intensify and regulatory frameworks evolve, one thing is clear – sustainability isn’t slowing down. It’s reshaping how organizations operate, collaborate and grow. Yet for many, progress hinges on three interconnected challenges: managing regulatory due diligence obligations, embedding sustainability into procurement decisions and decarbonising Scope 3 emissions.

Welcome to the UK & Benelux World Tour – watch the session.

These topics echoed throughout the day – and are also the areas where EcoVadis is helping organisations turn pressure into progress by providing trusted data, actionable insights and collaborative tools to effectively engage suppliers.

From Compliance Burden to Business Opportunity

The day opened with a reality check: the regulatory “jungle” continues to thicken. With CSRD, CSDDD, SECR, PPN 06/21, and the new Omnibus framework emerging, compliance is top of mind and it comes with a mix of uncertainty and urgency. Companies face pressure to prepare for new expectations even as the rules evolve but the message in London was clear: this complexity shouldn’t stall progress; it should accelerate the move from compliance to value creation.

Keynote Panel: What are the Key Risks Procurement & Sustainability Leaders Face in 2025 – watch the session.

Across industries, organisations like Deutsche Bank, Vodafone and Sage Group are demonstrating what it means to move from policy to performance. Each is embedding sustainability into the heart of procurement – making ESG performance a prerequisite for doing business and a catalyst for continuous improvement.

At Deutsche Bank, sustainability criteria are now built into supplier selection, with vendors spending over €500,000 required to hold an EcoVadis Rating of at least 45/100. Regular supplier training and governance meetings have helped partners strengthen their performance – achieving an average +13-point improvement since their first assessment. Vodafone has taken a similar data-driven approach, integrating EcoVadis IQ and Vitals into every sourcing process and requiring its top 450 suppliers – representing 80% of total spend – to obtain EcoVadis Ratings and complete the Carbon Action Manager (CAM) by 2026. Sage Group, whose supply chain is largely indirect, has focused on balancing ambition with accessibility by simplifying ESG contract clauses and supporting SMEs, reinforcing its commitment to help small businesses thrive.

Together, these examples illustrate a powerful shift: from compliance-driven reporting to collaborative, measurable progress, where sustainability expectations are transparent, supplier engagement is ongoing, and every action contributes to more resilient and responsible supply chains.

From Insights to Impact: The EcoVadis Product Outlook

As sustainability matures, the gap between ambition and execution often comes down to data, visibility and integration. Krishna Panicker, Chief Product Officer at EcoVadis, outlined how the platform is evolving to meet these challenges through three key focus areas: regulatory due diligence, sustainable procurement and Scope 3 decarbonisation.

EcoVadis Product Outlook – watch the session.

Under increasing regulatory pressure, organisations need traceable and auditable ESG data. EcoVadis is helping close this gap with AI-powered document analysis, continuous supplier monitoring and a methodology trusted by thousands of companies worldwide. These capabilities enable buyers to demonstrate due diligence and manage risk while easing the reporting burden on suppliers.

In sustainable procurement, the EcoVadis network – now connecting over 44,000 buyers and 150,000 suppliers globally – helps procurement teams embed sustainability into sourcing and performance management. New tools and analytics transform static ratings into dynamic intelligence, helping teams identify high-risk suppliers, track improvement and act with confidence.

For Scope 3 decarbonisation, the Carbon Action Manager (CAM) is now supporting more than 350 corporate programmes and 83,000 carbon-rated companies. By collecting supplier-specific data and assessing its reliability, EcoVadis enables companies to replace estimates with verified insights and focus reduction efforts where they matter most.

Together, these advancements reflect the EcoVadis mission of bringing more than a score. The platform is not only about evaluating sustainability performance but about empowering organisations and their suppliers to turn data into decisions, and decisions into measurable impact.

Tackling Scope 3: Collaboration Over Control

Discussions on Scope 3 emissions revealed both challenge and optimism. With up to 96% of Vodafone’s emissions originating in the supply chain, collaboration was cited as the single most effective lever for progress.

Sage’s decarbonisation journey also underscored the shift from data to impact – using supplier assessments and partnerships to engage its top 100 suppliers in reduction initiatives. Similarly, Deutsche Bank is moving from carbon accounting to targeted action through participation in the CDP Supply Chain programme and adoption of SBTi-aligned targets.

EcoVadis’ carbon insights and engagement tools are helping these organisations translate commitments into measurable supplier progress, strengthening both transparency and trust across their networks.

Contracts as Catalysts for Climate Action

Becky Annison, Head of Supply Chains at The Chancery Lane Project, inspired attendees of the executive breakfast, which preceded the conference, to look at contracts as levers for change. By embedding sustainability obligations – such as reporting, decarbonisation and supplier incentives – organisations can turn voluntary goals into enforceable commitments.

“Your 2030 goals depend on the contracts you’re signing today.”

Through integrated ESG risk assessment and due diligence, EcoVadis data helps procurement teams embed sustainability directly into contracting decisions, ensuring progress is maintained throughout supplier lifecycles.

CPO & CSO: The Power Partnership

The fireside chat with Serco’s Head of Procurement, Martin Bradley, and Head of ESG, Rebecca Garner, showcased how governance and collaboration between procurement and sustainability can accelerate progress.

The CPO & CSO Partnership: Building a Net Zero Supply Chain Programme – watch the session.

Serco’s Net Zero Supply Chain Strategy is anchored in cross-functional governance and supplier partnership. Its recent Supplier Partner Day, supported by EcoVadis insights, helped align vendors with Serco’s 2026 net zero ambitions and build capacity across its complex public-sector supply base.

“Sustainability brings the why, procurement delivers the how.” — Rebecca Garner, Serco

Acting Now: Barclays and National Grid on Building Momentum

The Barclays and National Grid session reinforced that acting now remains the biggest differentiator.

Barclays’ Supply Chain Transition Plan focuses on near-term, actionable workstreams – centred around decarbonisation, human rights and supplier collaboration. As Anna Long, Director of Sustainable Operations & Procurement, explained, progress comes from focusing on the biggest areas of impact, particularly through renewable energy procurement and frameworks that drive collective progress.

National Grid’s VP of Procurement & Strategic Infrastructure, Donna Hicks, emphasised the importance of adaptability: with commitments dating back to 2019, the company is pivoting to match today’s rapidly changing context. New governance structures and leadership sponsorship are helping to sustain momentum across the business.

“Our Responsible Business Charter is about action and accountability. Even as challenges evolve, our commitment remains true.” — Donna Hicks, National Grid

Panel: The Need to Act on Sustainability Commitments Now – watch the session.

Resilience, Risk and the ROI of Action

Extreme weather events have cost the world $3.6 trillion USD since 2020. But as keynote speaker Dexter reminded the audience, this is also a moment of opportunity.

Climate Action in an Age of Uncertainty – watch the session.

By embedding sustainability into procurement, companies can not only mitigate risks but build resilience and unlock growth. ASDA’s Joe Prosho echoed this, highlighting that ESG strategies linked to commercial priorities create shared value – reducing emissions while tapping into consumer and market expectations.

Asda’s Sustainable Procurement Journey – watch the session.

The Path Forward 

The discussions in London made one thing clear: the momentum behind sustainable procurement is accelerating, not slowing. Across industries, organisations are proving that progress comes when collaboration, simplicity and accountability align. The challenge now is to move beyond commitments and deliver consistent, measurable action.

At every step, success depends on turning data into insight and insight into impact. This is possible for companies that are looking for more than a score and choose to truly embed sustainability into their procurement and business strategy.

Missed the event? Watch our on-demand sessions:
Welcome to the UK & Benelux World Tour

Keynote Panel: What are the Key Risks Procurement & Sustainability Leaders Face in 2025
Speakers: Kim Hurst, Global Lead Supply Chain Sustainability, Vodafone Group
Paul Williams, Director Sustainable Procurement, Deutsche Bank
Claire Brockdorff, VP Procurement, Sage Group

The CPO & CSO Partnership: Building a Net Zero Supply Chain Programme
Speakers:
Martin Bradley, UK&E Procurement Director, Serco
Rebecca Garner, Head of ESG, Serco

EcoVadis Product Outlook
Speaker: Krishna Panicker, EcoVadis Chief Product Officer

Panel: The Need to Act on Sustainability Commitments Now
Speakers:
Donna Hicks, VP Procurement, National Grid
Anna Long, Director, Sustainable Operations & Procurement, Barclays

Climate Action in an Age of Uncertainty
Speaker: Dexter Galvin, EcoVadis Climate Ambassador

Asda’s Sustainable Procurement Journey
Speaker: Joe Prosho, Head of Sustainable Sourcing & Agriculture, ASDA