amfori BEPI

Today, companies face complex environmental challenges and increasing regulation, which need to be considered in their direct operations and across their supply chains. To support companies in addressing critical environmental issues and trends and drive environmental improvements in their business activities, amfori developed a dedicated ecological due diligence program: amfori BEPI (Business Environmental Performance Initiative).

The amfori Business Environmental Performance Initiative (BEPI) is a comprehensive system designed to support businesses in managing and improving their environmental performance. Born out of the increasing need for sustainable business practices, the BEPI has its roots in the international trade association amfori, known for its dedication to open and sustainable trade.

The amfori BEPI aims to create a structured pathway for businesses to monitor, manage, and ultimately improve their environmental performance. It provides tools, resources, and a framework to assess your current environmental footprint and identify areas for improvement.

A BEPI audit evaluates a broad scope of 8 Environmental Performance Areas (EPAs). A methodology grounded in aspects and impact assessment pinpoints the environmental hot spots pertinent to each business partner based on onsite production processes.

The 8 environmental performance areas include:

1. Environmental Management System.
2. Energy & Climate
3. Emissions to Air.
4. Water & Effluents
5. Waste
6. Biodiversity
7. Chemicals
8. Nuisances

From an environmental standpoint, an amfori BEPI audit encourages sustainable practices. This promotes resource conservation, waste reduction, and a decrease in harmful emissions.

On the business front, implementing the BEPI can lead to cost savings through efficient resource use. By reducing risks, you can enhance the resilience of your business to industry and market changes. With greater credibility, you will enjoy improved relationships with customers, suppliers, and stakeholders.

TÜV SÜD is a global leader in testing, inspection and certification (TIC), delivering high-quality services to help clients meet the growing challenges of quality, safety, environmental protection, social responsibility and sustainability.

As a trusted partner of amfori, TÜV SÜD conducts audits in accordance with amfori BEPI. We offer worldwide support with trained, qualified, and fully accredited BEPI auditors.

Our innovative solutions go beyond simple compliance with regulations and standards.

We will provide a dedicated team to support your audit program. You will work with your dedicated audit programme manager, who will be your advisor and manage every audit detail. We will ensure your auditing and reporting process is streamlined.

TÜV SÜD uses the following eight-step process as part of our amfori BEPI audit:

1. Register on amfori sustainability platform – The amfori member invites the business partner (producers) to register on the platform.
2. Create a company profile and complete site details – Once the business partner accepts an invitation to join members on the platform, they must create their company profile, create at least one site, and complete the details for each site.
3. Risk assessment (RA) for BEPI – Based on the processes selected by the business partner, the amfori sustainability platform automatically includes the relevant Environmental Performance Areas in the site's risk assessment for amfori BEPI. This ensures the business partner receives a questionnaire tailored to their onsite activities.
4. Improvement activities assignment – The risk profile provides the linked member with an overview of the business partner's level of maturity in managing environmental topics onsite. Based on the profile, the amfori member may assign the business partner to monitor the environment (or perform other improvement activities).
5. Conduct onsite monitoring – The monitoring party will conduct onsite monitoring in the defined window from the monitoring request, starting from the opening meeting and ending with a closing meeting.
6. Monitoring report review – The designated technical reviewer evaluates the draft report once it is prepared by the lead auditor.
7. Report submission – The lead monitor submits the final report through the amfori sustainability platform within ten business days after onsite monitoring is completed.
8. Follow-up monitoring – Regardless of the overall score obtained during Environmental Monitoring, the monitoring report always provides a business partner with a Corrective Action Plan (CAP). During the follow-up, Environmental Monitoring, the monitoring person will only investigate EPAs with findings, i.e. all EPA sections that had findings in the initial monitoring report will be verified in their entirety during a follow-up. amfori highly recommends that you should schedule the follow-up monitoring between at least 2 and 12 months after the initial Environmental Monitoring. This allows the site ample time to implement and document the necessary changes.