Supplier ESG Starter Pack
A customer asked for ESG information. Here is how to handle it.
Plain-language, no sustainability expertise assumed. Work through it in order — most of what you need, you probably already have.
1. Why you are getting these questions
One of your customers has asked for ESG or sustainability information. This is now routine in supply chains: larger companies report on their own footprint and, increasingly, on their suppliers — so they pass part of that request down to you. It is not a judgement on your business, and you are almost certainly not the only supplier being asked. What they need is usable information, not perfection.
2. What to do in the first 48 hours
- 1Read the request and note the deadline. If you need more time, ask early — most customers grant a reasonable extension.
- 2Sort the questions into the four categories below.
- 3Gather the easy evidence you already have (bills, existing policies, headcount).
- 4Flag anything that needs a decision to whoever can make it.
3. The four answer categories
Put every question in one of these. It turns a long questionnaire into a short list of next actions.
Ready
You already have the answer or the evidence on hand.
Needs data
The answer exists, but you have to go find or calculate it.
Needs decision
Someone has to decide a policy or position before you can answer.
Not tracked
You do not currently measure it — and "unknown" is not the same as zero.
4. What evidence to collect first
- Recent energy bills — electricity and gas — and any fuel or fleet records.
- Existing policies: environmental, health & safety, code of conduct.
- Basic workforce numbers: headcount and contract types.
- Water and waste figures, if you have them.
You probably have more than you think — most of this already lives in accounts, HR and facilities.
5. What not to do
Do not invent data
An estimate you can explain beats a precise-looking number you cannot back up.
Do not make unsupported claims
Only state what you can show evidence for if asked.
Do not write a policy just to tick a box
Write ones you will actually follow — a policy you ignore is worse than none.
Do not assume unknown means zero
If you do not track something, say so plainly rather than entering a zero.
6. Free resources
7. A ready-to-copy email (for the buyer)
If you are a procurement team sending this pack to a supplier, here is a covering email.
Subject: ESG information request — a starting point to help Hi [supplier name], We recently sent you a request for ESG / sustainability information. These requests can be unfamiliar, so here are some free, independent resources that make them more manageable. You do not need to buy anything, and there is no wrong place to start. - Start from your situation: https://esgforsuppliers.com/guides - Organise what you have: https://esgforsuppliers.com/app (free, runs in your browser, your data stays with you) - Triage the questions: https://esgforsuppliers.com/guides/supplier-sustainability-assessment-checklist What helps us most: give the numbers you actually have, tell us plainly where you do not yet track something, and please do not feel you need to invent data to fill a gap. Accurate and partial beats complete and guessed. If anything is unclear, just ask. Thanks, [your name]
8. A note on independence
ESG for Suppliers is an independent resource. It is not run by your customer, does not represent them, and cannot tell you whether your specific answers will satisfy their requirements — that is between you and them. Send your completed response back through whatever channel your customer specified.
9. If you will be doing this again
Many suppliers get the same kinds of questions from several customers. If that is you:
- Keep your answers and evidence in one place as you go, not scattered across emails.
- Reuse them for the next request instead of starting from scratch.
- When manual reuse gets tedious, ESG Passport (€499, one-time) generates draft answers from your data and documents.
Do this only once you have handled the request in front of you. See ESG Passport.