Checklist

ESG vendor pack checklist

What UK enterprise procurement increasingly requires from vendors. Five artefacts to produce, maintain, and ship proactively at the start of evaluation. Pre-builds turn 4-week ESG due-diligence into 4-day.

The pack

1. MODERN-SLAVERY STATEMENT
- Required for UK companies above £36m turnover under Modern
  Slavery Act 2015 s.54.
- Must be on company website, signed at director level.
- Annual update.
- Covers: structure, supply chain, policies, due-diligence
  processes, training, KPIs.
- Format: 2-5 page PDF.
- Even if you're below the threshold, producing one signals
  procurement-readiness.

2. ESG / SUSTAINABILITY POSITION STATEMENT
- 1-2 pages.
- Covers headline commitments:
  - Carbon-neutral target year (Scope 1+2)
  - Net-zero target year (Scope 1+2+3)
  - Supply-chain due-diligence approach
  - Governance disclosures
- Updated annually.

3. SCOPE 1 AND SCOPE 2 EMISSIONS DISCLOSURE
- Required at vendor scale of typically £10m+ turnover or
  more than 50 staff.
- Format: numbers in tCO2e, methodology disclosed (GHG Protocol).
- Annual update.
- Smaller vendors can defer; trajectory is downward (smaller
  thresholds expected within 24 months).

4. SCOPE 3 PLAN (OR COMMITMENT TO DEVELOP ONE)
- Scope 3 (supply chain emissions) is materially harder to
  measure than Scope 1+2.
- Vendors with active Scope 3 measurement are differentiated.
- Vendors without even a roadmap face increasing screening
  pressure.
- Commitment: 'We are developing Scope 3 measurement
  starting [date], targeting first disclosure [date].'

5. ECOVADIS OR EQUIVALENT ESG RATING
- Required at procurement triage by many UK enterprise buyers.
- Cost: typically £1-5k for initial assessment plus annual renewal.
- Time to first rating: 8-16 weeks.
- Alternative ratings: MSCI, Sustainalytics, Refinitiv ESG.

OPTIONAL BUT RECOMMENDED
- Diversity and inclusion statement (often paired with ESG pack)
- Pay-gap report (mandatory for UK companies above 250 staff
  under Equality Act 2010)
- Whistleblowing policy reference (PIDA 1998)
- Privacy notice and data-protection officer contact

Where the requirements come from

  • Modern Slavery Act 2015 s.54: mandatory annual statement above £36m turnover
  • Companies (Strategic Report) (Climate-related Financial Disclosure) Regulations 2022: large UK companies must produce TCFD-aligned disclosures
  • UK Sustainability Disclosure Standards: under FCA / DBT consultation; expected to extend disclosure obligations to more companies
  • Equality Act 2010: pay-gap reporting for companies above 250 staff
  • Procurement Act 2023: transparency obligations for public-sector procurement extend to ESG criteria

How to ship the pack

Three artefacts on the company website (modern-slavery statement, sustainability position, privacy notice). Two artefacts available on request (Scope 1+2 disclosure, ESG rating). At start of UK enterprise evaluation, send a single email with all five, even before the buyer asks. The proactive ship signals procurement-readiness and accelerates the evaluation.

Related editorial