South Pole awarded EcoVadis Gold Medal for sustainability and integrity excellence

South Pole, the leading carbon asset developer and climate consultancy, is proud to announce it has been awarded the prestigious Gold Medal by EcoVadis, one of the world's most trusted providers of business sustainability ratings.

This recognition places South Pole in the top 5% of more than 130,000 companies evaluated globally, highlighting outstanding performance in environmental impact, labour and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement.

"We are delighted to receive the EcoVadis Gold Medal. Setting ambitious goals and executing with dedication, our team has made significant progress, moving from bronze to gold in one year," said Daniel Klier, CEO of South Pole. "This recognition reflects our deep commitment to integrating sustainability into every aspect of our operations."

Key factors in South Pole's improved score align with our commitment to integrity and transparency. In particular, the EcoVadis rating recognised South Pole as a "Company with best in class GHG management system and strong decarbonization ambition with approved science-based targets ."

As one of the foundational players in carbon markets, South Pole has been carefully preparing for the next phase of the market's growth – from shifting our business activities, to enhancing our due diligence, risk and compliance processes, as well as recruiting a bench of senior leadership with strong experience in the areas of risk, legal and compliance. This included the appointment of Dame Inga Beale as Chair (former Lloyd's of London), Leila Kamdem as Chief Risk Officer (former HSBC) and Kushal Bhimjiani as Group Legal Counsel.

With this critical expertise, 2024's Gold EcoVadis rating is a reflection of a number of important changes and improvements to existing practices. Key highlights include:

• Improved compliance, quality, and risk management system for carbon projects with an independent risk and compliance team of 17 experts.
• Refined procurement processes, including a continued commitment to sourcing 100% renewable electricity.
• Strong protocols related to Know Your Counterparty (KYC) and Ethical Partnership Policy developed by the Compliance team in 2024.
• An extensive sustainability framework developed by the Compliance team that further integrates ESG topics, such as the validation of SBTi targets, volunteering efforts and B Corp Standard deployment within the firm, which already has five entities that are B Corp certified.
• Progress on gender parity, including a non-existent gender pay gap, 50% gender balance of the executive team, and 51% of management positions filled by women.
• Enhancements to People & Culture policies and procedures include updated short- and long-term incentives, expanded training programs and company-wide access to LinkedIn Learning.

Founded in 2007, EcoVadis is the world's largest and most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings with a global network of 130,000+ rated companies. South Pole's Gold rating strengthens our position as a trusted partner for organisations across the world seeking to reach net zero and build resilience to extreme weather.

Daniel Klier concluded, saying, "As the carbon markets enter an exciting period of growth, we remain committed to constant improvement that drives forward business efficiency and climate solutions. Our teams are determined to continue innovating and surpassing industry standards, making an irrefutable business case for climate action."

For any further information, please contact media@southpole.com