In today’s evolving business landscape, we believe that sustainability is no longer optional. Sustainability considerations are essential for organisations seeking to grow while making a positive environmental and social impact. At Icon, we take these matters seriously, embedding sustainability into our decision-making processes through the efforts of our dedicated Sustainability Committee.
A key tool in our sustainability journey is the EcoVadis assessment. EcoVadis evaluates and guides organisations in adopting sustainable practices. We were thrilled to receive a Platinum rating in our latest assessment in December 2024, placing us in the top 1% of companies assessed.
While achieving this milestone is a proud moment, we see it as just another step in our journey. This year, we aim not only to retain our Platinum status but also to take further strides towards meaningful improvements in our sustainability efforts.
What is EcoVadis?
EcoVadis is a globally recognised platform that measures the sustainability performance of organisations across industries. The process consists of four key stages:
- Registration: Companies begin by registering on the EcoVadis platform, supplying essential details about their operations which will influence the questions given to them.
- Questionnaire: After registration, companies complete a comprehensive questionnaire tailored to their industry, size, and location. This covers topics such as environmental practices, labour and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. Supporting documents—like policies, reports, and information packs—must be submitted to demonstrate actions taken in these areas.
- Expert analysis: EcoVadis experts analyse the submitted information, assessing a company’s policies, practices, and results.
- Rating: Upon completion, companies receive a rating and detailed scorecard, highlighting performance in the assessed themes and pinpointing areas for improvement.
Reviewing Icon’s EcoVadis performance
Icon’s commitment to sustainability was reflected in our outstanding EcoVadis score of 81/100. This score placed us in the top 1% of all companies assessed overall, giving us a Platinum rating.
Environment (Score: 90/100):
Our strongest area was Environment, in which we scored an impressive 90/100. This aligns with our commitment to the 12th Sustainable Development Goal: responsible consumption and production.
Based on the assessment, the following strengths were highlighted:
- Our exceptional policies addressing major environmental issues, including waste, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions
- Quantifiable objectives to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions
- The use of renewable energy in our offices
- Actions taken to minimise energy use in IT systems, lighting and heating, alongside employee training on energy conservation
- Measures to reduce waste, including training staff on proper waste sorting
In 2025, we aim to deepen our emissions reporting by breaking it down further into Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. This project, led by our Sustainability Committee, will focus on recalculating our carbon footprint in May this year.
Labour & Human Rights (Score: 80/100):
In this category, we scored 80/100, with EcoVadis noting the following strengths:
- Policies covering working conditions, health and safety, career development, training, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
- Membership of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC)
- Training provided on topics like diversity, discrimination, harassment, skills development, and health and safety
- Employee benefits such as healthcare coverage and flexible working arrangements
Ethics (Score: 70/100):
Our efforts in ethical practices earned us a score of 70/100. Key strengths include:
- Policies addressing information security, corruption, fraud and other ethical concerns
- Training initiatives to prevent corruption
- Robust data breach prevention measures, including risk assessments and incident response plans
- Whistleblowing procedures and processes for managing sensitive transactions to prevent corruption
Sustainable Procurement (Score: 80/100):
Sustainable procurement scored 80/100, highlighting our commitment to responsible supply chain management. EcoVadis recognised the following practices:
- A supplier sustainability code of conduct and regular assessments of supplier practices
- The integration of sustainability into internal purchasing decisions
Looking ahead
Our strong performance in the EcoVadis assessment underscores our dedication to embedding sustainability throughout our operations. While we are proud of our Platinum rating, we remain committed to enhancing our monitoring and reporting across all key areas in 2025. By continually evolving and improving, we aim to make a greater impact and look forward to seeing the tangible results of our sustainability initiatives in the years to come.
