Thank you for providing Sedex with the opportunity to respond.

The SMETA on-site audit is a tool companies use as part of broader supply chain due diligence and risk management programmes. SMETA audits serve as snapshot on-site assessments and a critical early warning tool. They help businesses proactively identify and address sustainability risks, compare data from different sources/collection methods and scale in-person, site-level assessment across global supply chains.

Neither SMETA nor Sedex membership is a certification, as our methodology encourages continuous improvement – there is no “pass” or “fail” issued by Sedex or an auditor as part of the SMETA methodology.

Social audits are a valuable aid for responsible sourcing, though these alone cannot resolve severe human rights violations. They are particularly effective when used as part of wider programmes deploying multiple tools for due diligence, risk assessment, remediation and supplier engagement.

SMETA remains helpful for driving improvement – in 2024, Sedex customers resolved nearly 180,000 non-compliances identified through SMETA audits. Each of these represents an improvement at a supply chain worksite in areas such as health and safety, labour standards and environmental management.

We're constantly evolving our Platform, tools and services to improve their efficacy …