In this guide
Tell the supplier what the request is for
State the purchasing relationship, scope, purpose, response owner, due date and how documents will be handled. Ask for the named legal entity and relevant sites. A group-wide policy and a site-level result may cover different populations; that difference should be visible.
Explain that “not measured,” “not applicable with reason” and “information pending” are acceptable response statuses. They expose follow-up work. Forcing a yes/no answer can conceal uncertainty or encourage an unsupported assurance.
The UN supplier sustainability questionnaire is an example of a broader supplier questionnaire. The questions here are an original, shorter evidence-collection aid; they are not copied official assessment questions.
Ten starting questions
| Topic | Question | Evidence or clarification to request |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Which entity, sites and services does this response cover? | Entity/site list and exclusions |
| Responsibility | Who owns the relevant environmental and social processes? | Role and current responsibility record |
| Energy | What energy data is measured for the stated period? | Boundary, units, source and known gaps |
| Emissions | Has a GHG inventory been prepared, and on what basis? | Period, scopes, methodology and any assurance scope |
| Waste | What waste streams are measured and how? | Quantities, methods and destination records |
| Workforce | What processes address working conditions and concerns? | Applicable policies and evidence of implementation |
| Health and safety | Who manages relevant workplace risks? | Process and suitable aggregated implementation evidence |
| Business conduct | How are conduct concerns and conflicts handled? | Policy, reporting route and implementation record |
| Supply chain | How are relevant upstream risks assessed? | Scope, process and follow-up record |
| Improvement | What unresolved issues have owners and dates? | Action record, status and supporting update |
Request only information needed for the decision. Avoid unnecessary personal records or sensitive individual case details. Agree a suitable channel and access rules for confidential evidence.
Ask for existing evidence
A policy says what should happen. A training record, review note or measured result can help show what happened. Match the evidence to the specific answer and period, and distinguish a new policy from an established practice.
Assessment-provider documentation explains why supporting evidence matters and why unsupported documents created solely to satisfy an assessment are not acceptable in that scheme. Do not manufacture or backdate records to complete this worksheet. Record the current position and the improvement action honestly.
For climate data, ask whether a figure is measured, estimated or supplied by another party. Preserve the source and boundary. A product footprint, a site inventory and a corporate total are not interchangeable answers to the same question.
Review the return without inventing a rating
Use simple workflow statuses: received, clarification needed, evidence reviewed and action agreed. Define what each means. “Evidence reviewed” should identify the reviewer and checks; it should not imply certification.
A fictional response might state: “Electricity measured for Site A for the last calendar year; warehouse excluded; invoices attached; one estimated month.” The buyer can then ask about the warehouse and estimated period. An answer saying only “We monitor all energy” would conceal those boundaries.
Record supplier answers separately from buyer observations. If a document does not support an answer, keep the original response and add the review question. Do not silently rewrite the supplier's statement.
Keep the follow-up manageable
For each open item, assign an owner, requested action and date. Ask for the missing evidence or clarified scope rather than sending the whole questionnaire again. Confirm whether the response changes the purchasing decision, requires specialist assessment or simply informs a future improvement plan.
Avoid a homemade percentage score unless you have defined the criteria, weights, treatment of missing answers and decision process. Ten favourable answers do not establish that a supplier has no material risk.
Questions you might have
Can every supplier receive the same questionnaire?
A common opening section can help, but the relevant questions differ by service, geography and risk. A small software provider and a chemical manufacturer should not receive identical technical requests without a reason.
Does an attached certificate settle the question?
Check what entity, activity, scope and period it covers, and verify it through an appropriate route where needed. A certificate does not automatically support every claim in the response.
Can this be used for Scope 3 data collection?
It can identify available information and owners. A Scope 3 calculation still needs an applicable method and suitable data. See the Scope 3 category guide for context. Auditably does not provide supplier ratings, a procurement portal or Scope 3 modelling.
Prepared with AI assistance using the linked sources and original fictional examples. No customer results, field measurements or independent specialist review are claimed.