Westcon-Comstor APAC achieves silver sustainability rating from EcoVadis

Global technology distributor Westcon-Comstor announced that its Asia-Pacific (APAC) division has achieved a silver rating from sustainability assessment firm EcoVadis.

This marks an improvement from the bronze rating attained in the prior year, placing Westcon-Comstor APAC in the top 15 percent of organisations globally.

EcoVadis has rated more than 125,000 businesses to date. Westcon said its ratings are based on international sustainability standards and provide an "evidence-based analysis of performance and an actionable roadmap for continuous improvement."

The company said the rating "highlights Westcon-Comstor’s commitment to business and environmental protection across its operations in Australia, New Zealand and Asia."

As well as transitioning to more sustainable sources of energy, for example by switching to renewable electricity tariffs, Westcon is working to reduce energy consumption and minimise environmental impact across its APAC facilities, the company said.

This includes installing solar panels at the company's logistics facility in Sydney and electric vehicle charging points in its Auckland offices.

Meanwhile, the company’s logistics operations in Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand recently achieved ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems certification.

Westcon is also moving to sustainable and recyclable packaging of hardware products across the region as part of a global strategy.

“We are very pleased to receive a silver rating from EcoVadis, underscoring our efforts to operate responsibly and contribute positively to the environment,” said Jason Barker, ESG lead for APAC, at Westcon-Comstor.

“Our Responsible Business strategy is at the heart of everything that we do, and while securing a silver rating is an exciting achievement, there is much work to be done to realise the goals we have committed to. We look forward to breaking new milestones in the future.”

Globally, Westcon is committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and recently became the first major global technology distributor to have this and its other net-zero targets formally validated by the internationally renowned Science Based Targets initiative.

The company has also set a target to meet 100 per cent of its electricity needs worldwide through renewable sources by 2030, while ensuring that 80 per cent of its suppliers have science-based emission reduction targets of their own by 2025.