By Sharon Dirks, Senior Director, Sustainability, BCD Travel
BCD has received a fifth consecutive platinum rating from EcoVadis, the world’s largest and most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings. This milestone not only confirms our commitment to sustainability for our employees, but also reinforces our reputation as a valuable, sustainable partner for our clients.
Why is EcoVadis important?
The EcoVadis assessment considers sustainability practices in environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement – four key areas that are continuing to grow in importance for corporations, employees, and global societies.
Each year, we go through an intensive audit process based on a complex and evidence-based questionnaire that addresses these four topics. The assessment methodology is based on international standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative, the United Nations Global Compact and ISO 26000. It’s also evolving in line with critical sustainability reporting legislation, such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Some familiar companies and recognizable household brands use EcoVadis to audit their own sustainability programs and assess their value chain.
Check out these companies and household brands that use EcoVadis to audit their sustainability programs and assess their value chain.
With this rating, we again maintain our position in the top 1% of the 130,000+ assessed companies in over 180 countries across more than 220 industries. EcoVadis also rated us as ‘Leader,’ the highest category for the Carbon Management Level, which forms part of the assessment. This carbon management solution is integrated with EcoVadis ratings to engage suppliers and drive decarbonization across the supply chain.
The renewed Platinum rating is a very meaningful recognition for us, demonstrating how committed our employees are on a global scale as an organization. Quite simply, taking consistent action on sustainability and achieving progress year after year is the right thing to do. At BCD, accountability for a more sustainable future runs across all functions of our organization. Our sustainability team works closely with legal, product development, finance, procurement, people & culture and many other teams to drive the progress we seek.
Stephan Baars, CEO, BCD Travel
How does BCD achieve and maintain EcoVadis Platinum?
Maintaining our Platinum rating is no small task. Global legislative developments and the scale of sustainability issues like the climate crisis continue to demand more of corporations and the part we play in the solution. This heightened expectation is reflected in the EcoVadis assessment and is just one of the reasons why it’s critical that we continue to embed sustainability best practices into our organization.
With EcoVadis raising the bar higher than ever, we’re immensely proud to be recognized at the highest level once again. This recognition reflects our efforts across the company to continuously advance our sustainability performance and demonstrates our commitment to promoting transparency throughout our value chain.”
Olivia Ruggles-Brise, Vice President of Sustainability, BCD Travel
The platinum rating from EcoVadis adds to a growing string of awards and recognitions for BCD’s sustainability achievements such as Most Admired TMC voted by readers of The Beat, BTN’s 2024 Business Travel Sustainability Award for “Achievement in Sustainability – TMC”, both in the Americas and Europe, Inclusive Talent & Recruitment Leader of the Year at the International Women in Travel and Tourism Forum Awards, Global Top 100 Inspiring Workplaces, Flexjobs’ Top 100 for Remote Work, Built In’s Best Places to Work, Forbes’ America’s Best Midsize Employers and America’s Best Employers for Women, ESR Empresa Socialmente Responsible® 2024 in Mexico, Great Place to Work in Brazil, and many more.
Want to find out more about EcoVadis, our Sustainability Framework and achievements? Take a look at our 2024 Sustainability Report.
Sharon Dirks, Senior Director of Sustainability
Dirks has played a pivotal role in shaping and evolving BCD’s sustainability strategy. She’s guided the company through significant milestone since first starting as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Coordinator in 2008. Her dedication to meeting the rising expectations of corporate responsibility toward people, the planet, and communities has been a driving force behind BCD’s global sustainability success.
Under Dirks’ leadership, BCD achieved its first EcoVadis Gold rating in 2016, followed by Platinum ratings in 2020 and 2021. Her focus on implementing best practices and promoting transparency in sustainability initiatives has cemented BCD’s reputation as a trusted, sustainable partner for clients. She lives in Germany.
