Social and ethical audit
Social and ethical audit
SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit), the most widely used audit in the world, is a tool businesses use to enhance working conditions and environmental performance in their operations and supply chains.
We provide honest and high-quality SMETA 2-pillar and 4-pillar audits to help companies build sustainable supply chains.
Sedex (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange) is a global platform focused on responsible business practices, with 20 years of experience in making supply chains more socially and environmentally sustainable. They offer technology, data, assessment tools, and services to help businesses manage supply chain risks, increase transparency, and improve collaboration. Sedex also supports organizations in carrying out due diligence and meeting ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) requirements.
TÜV SÜD is proud to be a Sedex Affiliate Audit Company (AAC) and a member of the Sedex community. This affiliation allows us to conduct SMETA audits.
Using SMETA, your company can identify good practices in employment conditions. Auditing using SMETA offers benefits such as providing evidence that your company has a commitment to ethical trading, which is increasingly valued by consumers. It ensures that you can legally claim your products are ‘fair trade’ and as such gain a competitive edge by demonstrating your ethical stance. You’ll also be able to assess and monitor the performance of high-risk suppliers and resolve issues found in the audit.
TÜV SÜD is one of the Sedex Affiliate Audit Companies (AAC) and is authorized to conduct both SMETA audit and Sedex Virtual Assessment. We can conduct both SMETA-2 pillar and SMETA-4 pillar audits.
SMETA 2-pillar Audit:
A SMETA 4-pillar audit includes all the elements found in the 2-pillar audit and also:
Enhances Supply Chain Visibility: Gain detailed insights into working conditions, environmental practices, and ethical compliance within your organization and its supply chain.
Ensures Compliance: SMETA audits help you comply with labor laws, health and safety standards, and ethical business practices. This reduces the risk of non-compliance penalties and supports adherence to international regulations.
Strengthens Brand Reputation: By demonstrating a commitment to ethical practices, a SMETA audit helps to bolster your organization’s reputation, making it more attractive to socially conscious consumers and partners.
Improves Supplier Performance: SMETA provides a Corrective Action Plan to help improve supplier performance and resolve issues found in the audit.
Enables Continuous Improvement: Proactively addressing potential risks and areas for improvement identified in the audit can lead to operational efficiency and employee satisfaction.
Want to improve working conditions and environmental performance in your supply chain?
Years of experience: Benefit from our decades of experience in delivering reliable SMETA audits. We match technical experts from our global network to your project needs.
Expert partnership: TÜV SÜD’s experts are recognized by authorities, both nationally and internationally, and have a history of completing successful audits across various industries.
Dedicated project manager: Enjoy the convenience of having a single point of contact with a dedicated project manager who ensures your audit project is managed efficiently and delivered on time.
Customized solutions: Receive tailored audit solutions that align with your specific business goals and compliance requirements.
International presence: Take advantage of our global reach, providing you with consistent and standardized audit practices across multiple regions, enhancing compliance and oversight.
If you want to understand and make improvements to working conditions and environmental performance in your business and supply chain, talk to our SMETA audit experts.
Graphic: 7 steps to SMETA
SEDEX (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange) is a global membership organization that provides one of the world’s leading platforms for managing and sharing ethical supply chain data. It is not a standard-setting body, but rather a collaborative platform that helps companies improve transparency and manage risks associated with labor rights, health & safety, environmental impact, and business ethics.
In supply chain management, SEDEX is used to:
SMETA (SEDEX Members Ethical Trade Audit) is an audit methodology developed by SEDEX members to provide a standardized, widely accepted approach to evaluating ethical performance in supply chains, allowing comparability across suppliers and industries. It is one of the most commonly used social audit formats in the world.
Key features that differentiate SMETA from other ethical audits:
SEDEX is not a certification body. It does not issue certifications or compliance seals. Instead, SEDEX provides a platform for storing and sharing information related to:
The audits conducted (e.g., SMETA) are informational tools, not certifications. The purpose is to promote transparency and facilitate due diligence rather than endorse compliance.
SMETA audits are often requested by buyers, especially large retailers, importers, or brands seeking ethical assurance from their supply chain partners. These requests are typically cascaded to suppliers as part of a broader responsible sourcing policy or Code of Conduct.
Supplier companies (manufacturers, farms, service providers) normally request SMETA audits to demonstrate ethical practices and compliance to their customer requests. They may also proactively undergo audits to show their commitment to ethical practices and attract more business.
Regulatory bodies generally do not require SMETA specifically, although regulatory compliance elements (such as labor law adherence) are part of the audit.
SMETA audits are structured around 2-pillar or 4-pillar frameworks:
2-Pillar SMETA (mandatory):
1. Labor Standards – Covers workers’ rights, fair wages, working hours, discrimination, freedom of association, etc.
2. Health & Safety – Includes workplace conditions, emergency preparedness, accident prevention, and hygiene.
4-Pillar SMETA (optional but increasingly common):
3. Environment (Extended) – Evaluates environmental impact, waste management, energy use, and legal compliance.
4. Business Ethics – Reviews policies and practices related to corruption, bribery, and ethical business behavior.
Learn about the implementation of Social Audit systems
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Learn more about Sedex/SMETA Audits
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