IQ-EQ, an Astorg portfolio company, is delighted to announce the achievement of an important milestone in its commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices. In the latest assessment conducted by leading ESG ratings agency, EcoVadis, IQ-EQ has been rated Gold. The firm’s scorecard places the global investor services group in the 96th percentile of the 100,000+ companies rated by EcoVadis to date.
EcoVadis is a globally recognised sustainability rating platform that evaluates companies across various industries based on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. The Gold rating is reserved for the top 5% of all companies rated by EcoVadis, setting IQ-EQ apart as a leader in sustainable business practices.
The EcoVadis survey is designed to test companies’ approach to several sustainability-related topics, including the environment, labour and human rights, business ethics, and sustainable procurement.
IQ-EQ’s achievement of an outstanding score of 72 reflects the Group’s dedication to continuous growth and excellence across the ESG spectrum with several major initiatives underway – ranging from a robust diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) programme to multiple strategic partnerships that will help IQ-EQ achieve its goal of being a carbon net zero business by 2035.
This year IQ-EQ also issued its very first Sustainability Report, which details everything the business is currently doing in this space and sets a roadmap for the years ahead.
Commenting on the EcoVadis Gold, IQ-EQ’s Head of Sustainability, Mark Harland, said:
“For IQ-EQ, sustainability not only means ensuring the longevity and success of our business, but also ensuring how we achieve that success does not come at a cost to society, our people, our clients, suppliers, the environment, or other stakeholders. The EcoVadis survey is one of the many steps we’re taking to this end, as it gives us greater insight into our sustainability performance and where we may need to improve.
“Needless to say, we’re delighted to have achieved such a strong score this year, but we also remain committed to continual improvement. The EcoVadis assessment helps us sharpen our approach to managing sustainability-related issues, and while our gold medal provides us with comfort that we’re on the right path, we recognise and embrace the fact that we’re on a journey to be a more responsible business.”
Chris Marsden, IQ-EQ’s Group General Counsel, further commented:
“We are hugely proud of this achievement and I’d like to take the opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you and well done to our hard-working Sustainability team, without whom such an accolade would not be possible. Special thanks also to the countless other individuals and teams across the organisation who’ve each played an instrumental role in advancing our ESG agenda, and to our private equity backers, Astorg, for their invaluable support and advice throughout the EcoVadis assessment process.
“Of course, we’re still very much in the midst of our sustainability journey; there’s plenty more to be done as ESG standards and expectations continue to rise and new regulations develop. As we look ahead, we remain committed to advancing sustainability as a core value, making a positive impact on our world and inspiring positive change within our industry.”
