Supplier Sustainability Hub

Every company* that AstraZeneca spends over 250kUSD with per year, irrespective of size or location must have a target that is validated by the SBTi at its parent company level as per AstraZeneca’s Sustainability expectations. Please be aware that this requirement is firm and cannot be substituted with other decarbonisation target schemes.

*There are certain organisation types that are unable to set SBT’s and are therefore exempt from this requirement. These include:

• Cities, local governments, public sector institutions and non-profit organizations.
• Single Person Organisations
• If Not for Profit (NFP) supplier is an academic institution.
• An NGO 501C charitable, educational or religious.

However, AZ requires these companies to investigate and understand their current emissions, and to set internal targets to reduce them by at least 50% by 2030.

Near-term is required. Net-Zero targets are not mandatory although we always encourage our key suppliers to set long term targets as best practice to achieve decarbonisation.

Please confirm to us the name of the organisation as it is included on the SBTi portal so we may identify the commitment and source the data. If your organisation is at a stage that is not yet visible on the SBTi portal, please share any acknowledgement correspondence that you have received from the SBTi by email. This document is crucial for our records and ongoing collaboration.

SBTi has a maintenance target option for businesses in this situation and so we would expect you to have followed this route.

yes, every company* with whom AstraZeneca spends more than 250k USD annually, irrespective of size or location must undergo an EcoVadis assessment at its parent company level as per AstraZeneca’s Sustainability expectations. Please be aware that this requirement is firm and cannot be substituted with scorecards from alternative ESG assessors.

*There are a small number of organisation types, such as non-profits and government organisations exempt from EcoVadis and therefore this requirement.

AstraZeneca asks suppliers to achieve a minimum overall score of 45, reflective of what EcoVadis considers ‘good’ performance. However, for first-time scorers we are lenient in this requirement as we value transparent reporting of sustainability progress above all. We expect that all suppliers will use the feedback and corrective actions to further develop their ESG strategy and as a result improve their scores year on year.

To ensure we are partnered with businesses whose sustainability goals are aligned with our own, and that our suppliers are operating on a level playing field, we do not reimburse suppliers for EcoVadis subscription fees. The EcoVadis costs are tiered to business size to make the costs appropriate for varying budgets and discounts are offered if a 3 year subscription is purchased upfront. We encourage suppliers to view this subscription as an investment that demonstrates their commitment to sustainability to us and other customers but also gains them access to valuable insights and training that can positively impact their business.

If your scorecard is published, we request you to share it on the platform with AstraZeneca PLC (not with ASTRAZENECA PLC (GROUP)).

AstraZeneca requires suppliers to retain a valid scorecard (with 12 months validity), since the re-assessment process can take up to 3 months, you are encouraged to begin the process well in advance of your scorecard expiry. The EcoVadis evaluation alone usually takes 6 to 8 weeks from the date of submission to the publication of results. Failure to renew your scorecard before its expiration may result in non-compliance and could affect your status as an approved supplier with AstraZeneca.

We ask all suppliers, above 250kUSD annual spend, to complete the EcoVadis Carbon Module and share their emissions data with us. We need primary emissions data from our suppliers to accurately understand and manage our carbon footprint, ensure regulatory compliance, support supplier sustainability programs, and above all, to meet our climate goals. We ask that emissions data be third-party validated, meaning an independent accredited organization has checked your calculations for accuracy according to recognized standards. If your emissions data is not yet third party verified, it is still better to submit your best available data than to provide none at all.

AstraZeneca asks suppliers which we spend at least 1.3m USD annually with, to participate in CDP to enhance transparency, collect primary carbon emission data, manage risks, and identify opportunities related to climate change. This information enables us to drive sustainable practices within our supply chain and meet regulatory requirements. Participating in CDP can help suppliers identify areas for improvement in their environmental practices, enhance their reputation, and meet the growing demand for sustainable products and services.

AstraZeneca’s primary use of CDP is to collect verified emissions data across all emission scopes as well as energy related activities and progress. If a supplier has been requested to disclose to CDP, this information is considered the bare minimum of the requirement.

If AstraZeneca invite you participate, non-participation may affect future sourcing decisions, resulting in reduced business opportunities or exclusion from preferred supplier lists.

If a supplier has been requested to disclose to CDP by AstraZeneca, the fees will be paid by AstraZeneca on behalf of suppliers.

Yes, CDP disclosure can be taken up at the parent level but whilst filling/responding to the supply chain module, all the data of all the subsidiaries has to be taken into consideration by the parent company.

For us to use supplier emissions in our own emissions reporting, we require at least ‘limited assurance’ third party verification. Emissions data provided to us without this verification therefore has limited use to us, so we encourage you to seek third party verification as soon as possible.

AstraZeneca updates its list of invited suppliers each year based on emission contributions and data maturity of suppliers. If you have not been invited then you are not required to disclose via CDP, however we ask instead that you disclose your emissions via EcoVadis in the 'metrics' section. This can be done both inside and separate to, a standard EcoVadis assessment. We also encourage you to share energy related metrics on EcoVadis to give us a complete picture of Your performance. If your organization chooses to report voluntarily to CDP as part of your corporate sustainability efforts, you are welcome to do so.

Worldfavor is a newly introduced platform for gathering sustainability data from suppliers that is not already available from other sources. It is free to register with and use the platform and will additionally be used by us to share important updates to documents such as our Code of Conduct for Third Parties.  For this reason we require all suppliers to register so that these requests and updates aren’t missed.

During registration, you can enter basic organisation details like name and address in the initial steps. Once registered, you will have access to the platform where you can request a new contact person to be added.