Top 40 distributor Nadel (asi/279600) has received a Silver Medal ranking from EcoVadis for its sustainability achievements. This marks Nadel’s third consecutive year partnering with EcoVadis and places the distributor in the top 25% of audited companies across various industries. The Silver ranking is an upgrade from Nadel’s Bronze Medal in 2022.

Craig Nadel and Debbie Abergel

EcoVadis, which provides sustainability ratings to businesses, does a comprehensive evaluation to assess how well companies incorporate sustainability and corporate social responsibility principles into their business. EcoVadis ranks companies based on four pillars: environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.

“This award is a significant milestone and a big step forward in Nadel’s ongoing journey to continuously enhance and optimize our ESG strategies, further solidifying our position as a sustainability leader in the promo industry,” said Craig Nadel, CEO and a member of Counselor’s Power 50 list of the most influential people in promo.

Nadel, which notes that it’s driven by the motto “beyond branded merchandise,” says it has been pursuing meaningful impact for environmental and social causes for many years. In 2021, the distributor established a Sustainability Council, made up of 10 leaders across the company’s global organization.

In addition to the EcoVadis assessment, Nadel continues to seek opportunities to improve its environmental, social and governance (ESG) journey. The company has taken the Climate Pledge, committing to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Nadel also offsets emissions on shipments through the CarbonFree Shipping program and collaborates with the SME Climate Hub, a nonprofit global initiative that empowers small- to medium-sized companies to take climate action.

Nadel executives said they’re proud to see the progress the company has made with its ESG efforts, as evidenced by the EcoVadis ranking change from Bronze to Silver this year.

“This recognition signifies that we are moving in the right direction and reinforces our commitment to sustainability,” said Debbie Abergel, Nadel’s chief strategy officer, member of the distributor’s Sustainability Council and a member of the Power 50.

A growing number of suppliers and distributors in the promotional products industry have partnered with EcoVadis for sustainability assessment, including suppliers PCNA (asi/66887), Gemline (asi/56070) and St Regis Group (asi/84592; Canada, asi/84595) and distributors HALO Branded Solutions (asi/356000), Harper + Scott (asi/220052) and Staples Promotional Products (asi/120601).

According to EcoVadis, a medal is an acknowledgement of achievement relative to other assessed companies across its database, and doesn’t necessarily mean a company has no room for improvement in the realm of sustainability. “It serves as an indicator of positive intent as assessed companies strive to improve their sustainability management performance and drive impact,” states the EcoVadis website.

Nadel, which ranked 16th in Counselor’s most recent list of the top promo companies, had 2021 North American promo products revenue of $167.4 million. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Nadel operates a network of offices across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, serving a range of industries, including automotive, finance, hospitality, healthcare and technology. More information on Nadel’s sustainability initiatives is available on its website.

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