BillerudKorsnäs, Sweden,  promoted through company media and press releases on Tuesday (September 7) that the group has been awarded a Gold rating from EcoVadis, not just once or just for this year, but for the third year in a row. EcoVadis (EV) is a system for evaluating suppliers’ environmental aspects, working conditions, corporate social responsibility, and subcontractors. Multinational brands with high ethical ambitions use the system to evaluate their supply chains in turn.

The EV method is based on internationally adopted principles for sustainability reporting, such as GRI – the Global Reporting Initiative –, the United Nations Global Compact and ISO 26000, and is audited by independent sustainability experts. The system is aimed at demanding customers and brand owners who want to monitor their supply chains.

The annual evaluation of 20,000 suppliers placed BillerudKorsnäs among the top 1% of all companies assessed. Further, the evaluation shows that BillerudKorsnäs is among the very best of 150 companies in the same industry and is also in the top percentage rank among all companies assessed, regardless of industry.

"EV confirms that we have a high level of sustainability, excellent control of environmental work, clear guidelines regarding ethical issues, and a systematic approach with our suppliers. We received very high scores in all areas assessed, far above the average of all suppliers evaluated," said BillerudKorsnäs Sustainability Manager Bengt Brunberg.

BillerudKorsnäs produces primary fiber-based packaging materials, and has customers in more than 100 countries. The company has eight production sites in Sweden, Finland, and the U.K. with an annual turnover around 22 billion SEK ($2.6 billion).