This year, Drive Sustainability had the opportunity to contribute to two significant OECD platforms dedicated to strengthening responsible business conduct and due diligence across global value chains.
Addressing 68 Governments at the OECD Inclusive Platform on Due Diligence Policy Cooperation
In September, Drive Sustainability was invited to speak at the OECD Inclusive Platform on Due Diligence Policy Cooperation, where representatives from 68 governments gathered to exchange perspectives on global due diligence implementation.
During this session, Drive Sustainability presented its mission to embed sustainability across the automotive supply chain and showcased our Sustainability Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ), a joint risk-assessment tool designed to bring standardization, reduce the reporting burden for suppliers, and support companies in identifying and managing sustainability risks.
To date, more than 150,000 supplier locations across 126 countries and territories have been assessed using the SAQ, demonstrating its global reach and growing importance as a common industry standard.
Deepening the Discussion at the OECD Training Programme in the Asia-Pacific
Just five months earlier, Drive Sustainability had the pleasure of speaking at the OECD Training Programme on Due Diligence in the Electronics and Vehicle Manufacturing Sectors in the Asia-Pacific region. This session took a deeper look at Step 2 of the OECD Due Diligence Framework, identifying responsible business conduct risks.
Drive Sustainability presented its work on risk monitoring, stakeholder engagement, and due diligence, including how the SAQ continues to serve as a robust, comparable and scalable tool.
A key part of the contribution focused on how stakeholder engagement helps fill knowledge gaps and strengthens risk prioritization. Examples were shared from our initiatives such as Drive+ and Drive Sustainability China, both of which illustrate the value of collaboration, local insight, and continuous dialogue with suppliers and experts.
Lessons Learned from Our Work
Across our global activities, several core lessons have emerged:
- – Standardization and collaboration multiply impact across the industry.
- – Risk assessment is critical for anticipating, preventing, and responding to supply chain disruptions.
- – Risk assessment should never standalone, it must be integrated into wider business processes and supported by meaningful stakeholder engagement.
- – Multi-tier transparency is essential, always keeping suppliers’ realities and constraints in view.
