WHEN SUSTAINABILITY NEEDS TO BE PROVEN
2026-04-28
With more than one hundred years of industrial development behind it, sustainability has evolved into a natural part of ESBE’s operations – from product development to relationships with customers, suppliers and society.
But what happens when this work also needs to be measured, compared and verified against an external standard? For ESBE, working with EcoVadis became a way to make exactly that visible. The initiative was driven both by customer demand for an independent assessment and by the growing importance of sustainability across the market. EcoVadis provided a framework to structure and communicate the work already in place.
“It helps us to visualise our sustainability work and clarify where we need to improve,” says Quality Manager Peggy Zeybrandt Cumming.
At the same time, it became clear that doing the work is one thing – being able to demonstrate it is another.
One of the most significant insights was the weight given to climate impact in the assessment. CO₂ calculations in particular proved to be highly influential. At the same time, areas often taken for granted in a Swedish context, such as labour rights and business ethics, are key factors in an international evaluation.
“Many aspects of social sustainability are second nature to us, but they still need to be documented and evidenced to have an impact in an assessment like this.”
The process also highlighted how sustainability depends on collaboration. It is not confined to a single function, but a shared responsibility across the organisation. Throughout the process, different departments contributed both knowledge and documentation. Perhaps most importantly, it underscored the difference between doing and proving.
“If we cannot demonstrate what we do through clear policies, training or documentation, we receive no recognition in the assessment,” says Peggy Zeybrandt Cumming.
This has set the direction going forward.
The focus is now on strengthening the documentation of existing work, while continuing to develop internal processes and deepen collaboration across departments. Work within the supply chain is also being reviewed, where existing requirements provide a solid foundation but offer further scope for development.
The ambition is clear: to demonstrate tangible improvements in the next assessment.
The EcoVadis process has already had a significant impact. It has highlighted both strengths and areas for improvement – and not least the level of internal engagement.
“We are proud of the employees who have worked hard throughout the process to gather documentation and evidence. Much of what we do is so embedded in our daily work that it can be difficult to put into writing.”
And perhaps that is where many companies find themselves today. As at ESBE, it is not a lack of sustainability work that is the issue, but the challenge of making it visible, measurable and comparable.
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