Together for Sustainability (TfS)
Together for Sustainability (TfS) was founded in 2011 by the chemical companies BASF, Bayer, Evonik, Henkel, LANXESS, and Solvay, and is today a non-profit association based in Brussels with more than 60 member companies from the chemical industry. The initiative aims to establish a consistent, industry-wide approach to assessing suppliers' sustainability performance, avoiding a situation in which individual suppliers are repeatedly confronted with inconsistent requests, questionnaires, and audits from different customers.
The initiative rests on two pillars: assessments and audits. The assessments are carried out in partnership with EcoVadis and evaluate a supplier's sustainability performance across topics such as environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. In addition, independent auditing firms accredited exclusively by TfS conduct announced on-site audits based on a standardized set of around 120 requirements covering management, environment, occupational health and safety, labor and human rights, and governance.
Both assessments and audits highlight a supplier's strengths and areas for improvement. Where deficiencies are identified, a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) is typically agreed, setting out concrete measures, deadlines, and responsibilities for improvement. Results are shared with TfS member companies via a common, secure platform, so that a supplier that has already been assessed or audited once does not need to be separately reviewed again by every individual customer.
For companies along chemical supply chains, TfS is an established supply chain management tool that reduces the audit burden on suppliers and gives purchasing companies a standardized, comparable basis for assessing sustainability risks in the supply chain. The initiative thus complements corporate due diligence obligations such as those set out under the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), adding a practical, industry-led layer of implementation.
