Comprehensive initiatives for responsible corporate governance

EQS Group publishes sustainability report 2023 - Seite 2

In this reporting year, the company took part in the EcoVadis rating for the first time and received a silver award for its sustainability activities with 69 out of a possible 100 points. This puts EQS Group in the top two percent of companies in the sector assessed.^[1] In comparison with all companies evaluated by EcoVadis, EQS Group is in the 92nd percentile. This means that the score achieved is equal to or higher than that of 92 percent of all companies evaluated by EcoVadis.

Transparency as a cornerstone for values and diversity

Sustainability is embedded in all areas at EQS Group. A value-based corporate culture based on transparency and openness is a priority and shapes the company’s commitment to internationality, equal opportunities, and diversity. As an international organization, EQS Group benefits from the different perspectives and ways of working of its employees from 54 nations.

One focus of the measures for diversity and inclusion is the promotion of women in IT. The share of women at EQS Group is 41 percent across all business areas worldwide – above the industry average.^[2] EQS Group aims to increase the percentage of female employees throughout the company to 50 percent and, in particular, to promote women at all management levels. To this end, various projects were carried out last year and recruitment measures were continuously expanded accordingly.

Additional milestones from the EQS Group Sustainability Report 2023:

• CO2 reduction: Currently, 52 percent of the electricity used at EQS Group comes from renewable energy sources. Energy-saving measures in the offices and the switch to green electricity have reduced CO2 emissions by 15.8 tons of CO2e in Scope 1 and 28.2 tons of CO2e in Scope 2.
• Social responsibility: A corporate volunteering program enables employees to spend one working day per year doing volunteering work. Last year, 74 EQS employees carried out ten campaigns and volunteered for a total of 388 hours.
• Great Place to Work: The site in Kochi, India, was certified as a "Great Place to Work" for the second time in a row in 2023. For the globally recognized quality seal, employees were surveyed on topics such as trust in the company, respect for employees and fairness in the workplace. In this year’s survey, the "trust index" rose to 85% (2022: 78%).

• Women in IT: To support women in IT training in India, the EQS branch in Kochi initiated a cooperation with the local University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) in December 2023. Initially, ten female students will be supported by covering their tuition fees and mentoring opportunities.