Answering what you are asked.
WHAT LARGER BUYERS REQUEST
Completion of supplier questionnaires Policies on environment, labour and ethics Data on energy, emissions and waste Certifications Evidence of compliance
WHY THEY ASK
Their own obligations extend to their supply chain.
WHAT HAPPENS WITHOUT ANSWERS
Exclusion, frequently without explanation.
WHAT TO PREPARE IN ADVANCE
Basic data on consumption and waste A short environmental policy Evidence of legal compliance Evidence of proper waste disposal
WHY IN ADVANCE
Questionnaires arrive with short deadlines.
WHAT A POLICY SHOULD CONTAIN
What you commit to What you actually do Who is responsible How it is reviewed
WHAT MAKES IT CREDIBLE
Specific commitments matched by evidence.
WHAT MAKES IT WORTHLESS
Generic statements with nothing behind them.
WHY
Buyers verify, and unsupported claims damage credibility more than having no policy.
WHAT TO NEVER DO
Claim certifications you do not hold Provide data you have not measured Overstate performance
WHY
It is verified, and discovery ends the relationship.
WHAT TO SAY ABOUT THINGS YOU DO NOT YET DO
That you do not, and what you are doing about it.
WHY
Honest partial answers are accepted; false complete ones are not.
WHAT CERTIFICATION PROVIDES
Independent verification that a system exists.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH BEFORE PURSUING ANY
Whether customers actually require it What it costs, including ongoing audit Whether you can maintain it
WHY THAT LAST POINT
Lapsed certification is worse than none.
