Achieving this rating places MAG in the top 5% of more than 130,000 companies assessed globally against sustainability criteria.

Manchester Airports Group (MAG), the UK’s largest airports group which owns and operates Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands Airports, has achieved the highest possible rating on its first time submitting ESG data to the EcoVadis platform.

EcoVadis is a provider of business sustainability ratings and evaluates companies around the globe based on environmental, social and ethical performance.

During the assessment, MAG scored over the industry average in all four categories: ethics; austainable Procurement; environment; and labour/human rights.

Following its gold rating, MAG said it is working to enhance the sustainability credentials in other areas of its business’ Group is currently working to transform its approach to supply chain management, to ensure that its procurement processes  are compatible with a sustainable future.

In 2023, the Group launched a procurement transformation programme to digitally assess the sustainability performance of its supply chain.

Neil Robinson, Chief Sustainability Officer  for MAG, said: “Our EcoVadis gold rating demonstrates the robust and credible approach MAG has to creating a more sustainable future of our business and the wider aviation sector.

“I am proud that we have achieved the highest possible ESG standard during our first assessment cycle, but know that MAG’s commitment to continuously improving its sustainability credentials means we are finding ways to reach this same high standard across all areas of our operations.”

Using the EcoVadis platform, MAG’s procurement team has asked its third party suppliers to complete a sustainability assessment that evaluates their organisation’s performance across the platform’s four key metrics.

MAG noted Initial indications show many of its suppliers are achieving high scores in their assessments, and MAG said will continue working them to further enhance their sustainability performance.

“Working with our procurement team, I am confident that we can implement changes that will ensure our supply chain is sustainable for years to come. Our partnership with EcoVadis means that our sustainability credentials will continue to be assessed, and allow MAG to ensure its approach to ESG remains fit the future,” added Robinson.

READ MORE: On Location: Avolta launches three-month long Stansted campaign

READ MORE: Manchester Airports Group reports strong results, pax and investment