SYDNEY, April 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 

EMBARGOED UNTIL: 14 APRIL, 10AM Australian Eastern (8pm, 13 April, New York EDT)

Down Under Enterprises, an Australian-owned family business that grows, produces, exports, and markets traceable and sustainable native botanicals, today announced receiving EcoVadis' prestigious Platinum Sustainability ranking. The Platinum level is reserved for the top 1% of 75,000+ businesses rated by EcoVadis globally.

The EcoVadis Platinum ranking was awarded to Down Under Enterprises for its outstanding approach to Environmental Management, Labor and Human Rights, and Ethics. The final scoring by EcoVadis puts Down Under Enterprises 60% higher than the average score for SME companies in Australia and over 71% higher than their ranking of all companies globally.

Although Down Under Enterprises has always practiced sustainable operations, their formal Sustainability journey began in earnest five years ago with the establishment of their new farming operations. In designing their state-of-the-art essential oil farms, they aligned all existing and planned activities to their proprietary Cycle of Sustainability program. Down Under then worked within the UN Sustainable Development Goals^[1] to align these activities to a global framework. In 2019, the company become a signatory to the UN Global Compact to formalise its commitment to Sustainability. In 2020, the company retained EcoVadis to audit its activities, achieving a Bronze in this inaugural year.  In 2021, only the second year with EcoVadis, Down Under Enterprises' exemplary sustainability efforts have now been formally recognised by EcoVadis, achieving the highly coveted Platinum ranking. 

Phil Prather, Head of Marketing & Operations at Down Under Enterprises states, "We are honoured that EcoVadis has recognised our company's meaningful commitment to sustainability. Our team has worked hard to establish our Sustainability footprint – I am so proud of this team. This award is a wonderful recognition of the significant efforts made by each and every one of our employees."

Sustainability Manager for Down Under Enterprises, Matt Rafter, commented, "After our first EcoVadis assessment of Bronze in 2020, I prepared an extensive improvement action plan, seeking management approval to work towards a stretch goal of Gold in 2021. To find out we had leaped over that goal to be rated Platinum in 2021, the 99^th percentile of all companies on the EcoVadis network, was mind-blowing. I was over the moon!"

To learn more about Down Under Enterprises, their Cycle of Sustainability program, and how it is meeting its obligations as a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact visit: www.downunderenterprises.com/sustainability^[2]

About EcoVadis

EcoVadis provides Corporate Social Responsibility Assessment in the areas of Environment, Labor and Human Rights and Ethics.

EcoVadis is the world's most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings, intelligence, and collaborative performance improvement tools for global supply chains. Backed by a powerful technology platform and a global team of domain experts, EcoVadis' easy-to-use and actionable sustainability scorecards provide detailed insight into environmental, social and ethical risks across 200 purchasing categories and 160 countries.

About the Company

Down Under Enterprises grows, produces, exports, and markets traceable and sustainable native Australian essential oils and botanicals grown on Down Under's farm, Buhlambar, and from small growers across Australia producing unique Australian essential oils and native botanicals. The company operates directly in North America and in Australia, with a network of Commercial Partners throughout Asia and with Univar Solutions in Europe.

References

1. ^{^} UN Sustainable Development Goals (sdgs.un.org)
2. ^{^} www.downunderenterprises.com/sustainability (www.downunderenterprises.com)