Gold sustainability rating ranks Go Plant Fleet Services amongst the world’s best
Go Plant Fleet Services has won the gold medal for its approach to Corporate Social Responsibility. The nationwide specialist fleet provider has been awarded top marks by EcoVadis – the global ratings platform that evaluates sustainability.
Its overall CSR score places the company in the top five per cent within the vehicle renting and leasing industry.
It’s the first time Go Plant Fleet Services has achieved the coveted gold standard and HR manager Sheldon Gayfer believes it’s an achievement that acts as a demonstration of credentials.
He said: “EcoVadis is an external platform that measures and assesses a broad range of non-financial topics, so we’re delighted to have been awarded a gold rating.
“It’s independent recognition of our commitment to sustainable economic, social and environmental impact and shows that we’ve aligned all of our activities to that goal.
“Corporate Social Responsibility is a core focus for the business and the fact that we’re rated in the top five per cent in our industry demonstrates that we’re doing all we can to create a better and brighter future.”
Already ranked in the top 25 per cent for CSR after its first assessment in 2018, Go Plant Fleet Services implemented a string of additional initiatives last year.
They included the introduction of a Sustainable Procurement Policy that recognises the company’s obligation to protect communities and the environment. It seeks to embed the consideration of social, environmental and economic impact as key factors in decisions made by both its staff and partners.
The business also strengthened its commitment to community engagement.
It built on its policy to recruit and develop apprentices with several going on to win industry awards for their achievements last year.
It teamed up with a charitable organisation that works with disengaged and disaffected young people to offer opportunities including work experience or taster days and introduced an initiative to fund HGV training for drivers unable to meet the cost themselves.
The company also introduced additional reporting and was able to demonstrate a highly advanced management system on labour and human rights issues.
Mr Gayfer added: “We’ve made great strides in a number of aspects of sustainability over recent years and this rating illustrates we’re on the right track.
“But we’re continually striving to improve our performance and have other initiatives in the pipeline to maintain our progress.”
The platform assesses 21 criteria across themes of environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.
As an independent assessment of management system performance, the ratings that emerge help companies or public bodies to identify top-performing suppliers.
Scores can also be used as criteria in new vendor qualifications, Request For Proposal/Quotation documents or simply as measurement of potential business risks.
