Together for Sustainability
Leverage Relationships to Co-create Sourcing Value
Founded in 2011, Together for Sustainability (TfS) is a procurement-driven initiative that was set up by a global network of chemical companies including Evonik Industries, BASF, Bayer, Henkel, Lanxess, and Solvay. The initiative has grown to more than 37 members.
The TfS initiative is based on the principles of the UN Global Compact and Responsible Care®. In addition to that, the guidelines of the International Labor Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the American non-governmental organization Social Accountability International (SAI) are taken into account.
The TfS framework enables member companies and their suppliers to assess, drive and improve the sustainability performance of chemical supply chains through a shared infrastructure. The key to the TfS program is the commitment to continuously improve the sustainability of all who are involved.
Through regional, tailor-made training solutions based on data mining and analysis, TfS focuses on those regions and sustainability topics that represent the highest risks, provide the biggest impact for improvement and promote long term sustainable sourcing practices as the main goal.
Achieving the goal requires strong partnerships, collaboration and transparency, all of which are enabled by standardized tools such as TfS Assessments and TfS Audits. For more information about TfS Assessments and TfS Audits, please click on the information below:
TfS Assessments are self-assessments via an online questionnaire that is reviewed by Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) experts. The assessments are being carried out by EcoVadis, a global service provider specialized in sustainability performance assessments. Done in a simple four step approach, the assessments are the basis for a recurring dialogue on sustainability as well as an important part of our supplier evaluation process.
Step 1 Onboarding: EcoVadis will send you a link to register online. By clicking on the link, you may initiate the onboarding process which includes a few questions about your company. These questions help EcoVadis customize the actual assessment questionnaire for you.
Step 2 Evaluation: You will receive the assessment questionnaire with supporting documents. After filling in the information your input will be reviewed and analyzed by the EcoVadis experts.
Step 3 Results: You will receive your results in the form of an easy-to-use scorecard which is available online. You can also share it with all customers of your choice.
Step 4 Improvements: Based on the evaluation results, specific improvement areas are defined which can further boost your sustainability performance.
TfS Audits are on-site examinations of a company's business sites and practices, carried out by an independent third-party auditor approved by TfS. The TfS audits allow member companies to evaluate the sustainability performance of suppliers and help suppliers to identify improvement potentials. Working jointly on these potentials will be done in corresponding action plans.
Following the principle that an ‘assessment or audit for one member company is an assessment or audit for all’, TfS member companies have committed to share supplier evaluations in the categories management, environment, health and safety, labor and human rights as well as corporate governance. This not only makes the process more efficient but also provides synergies for the participating supply partners.
To further promote sustainability along supply chains, TfS has introduced two additional programs that focus on Green House Gas (GHG) Emissions reduction and capability building:
To harmonize the approach on how companies calculate their Product Carbon Footprints (PCF) in the chemical industry, TfS is developing a data collection and sharing solution platform for PCF data (scope 1, 2, 3-upstream).
TfS also collaborates with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to jointly tackle the lack of transparency of supply chain emissions. The mission of this partnership is to establish a global methodology and technical infrastructure for accurate and verified primary GHG emission data measurement and exchange. More information are available in the link below.
TfS has launched a comprehensive learning platform aimed at empowering all TfS members and supply chain partners to expand their sustainability knowledge and expertise. Over 240 courses about some of the most pressing issues including water and waste management, managing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting biodiversity, preventing forced labor, increasing transparency and ethics and embedding sustainability standards in procurement processes are available in seven languages.
Are you curious? Then sign up and unlock your SustainAbilities! The TfS Academy is free to access for employees of TfS member companies and their suppliers.
TfS launched an open-source PCF Guideline, a new global guidance for calculating Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs) in the chemical industry and beyond. The guide aims at making Scope 3 emissions of purchased goods which have historically been challenging to measure due to the complexity of chemical production easier to measure, manage and track.
For more information and to download the PDF Guideline, please click on one of the links below.
Evonik TfS Assessment Results
As a member of the initiative, Evonik is also being assessed regularly. Having achieved a platinum rating, Evonik is once again one of the top-rated suppliers for 2021.
Are you interested to become a TfS member?
If you are motivated to join forces with us and to enhance the sustainability performance of our supply chains, you are welcome to join us at TfS. You may find out more about the benefits of being a member and how you can join this growing initiative by clicking on the following links: