Francesco Pianca, Chief Programme Officer
For years, the ZDHC Roadmap to Zero has guided our industry towards a shared goal — eliminating harmful chemicals and building safer, more responsible supply chains. But real progress happens where that roadmap meets reality: inside the factories that make it happen every day. That’s where Supplier to Zero comes in.
The current version of Supplier to Zero has served the industry well, but it is no longer fit for the purpose of truly showcasing the progress and performance suppliers have achieved through implementing the Roadmap to Zero. That’s why we’re introducing Supplier to Zero V2 — a new generation built with and for suppliers, designed to better reflect their achievements and demonstrate measurable impact.
A pilot is already underway with facilities around the world, helping us refine the experience and make sure the new version works in real life — not just on paper.
The goal is simple: to make Supplier to Zero more practical, more relevant, and more rewarding.
Every supplier is different — in scale, capacity, and where they are on the journey. The new framework adapts to that reality. The questions are sharper, the expectations clearer, and the results better reflect actual performance.
This means your progress is measured more fairly, your achievements recognised more visibly.
The new Supplier to Zero fosters partnership and trust between suppliers and brands, offering flexible assessment options. When trust is established, brands can rely on a supplier’s self-assessment or carry out a joint second-party assessment. This flexibility allows brands to focus their efforts where they’re needed most, helping less familiar suppliers progress faster while strengthening collaboration across the value chain.
Over the years, I’ve worked with suppliers so reliable I never had to doubt them, so committed I hardly had to push, and so open-minded and understanding that motivation was never needed. These are the leaders who show what good looks like. But not every supplier is there yet — and that’s okay.
The new Supplier to Zero is designed by suppliers who want to lead, because they know best what excellence looks like and how it feels when unfair competition — often driven by poor chemical management — hurts the industry. Supplier to Zero V2 gives these leaders a stronger platform to demonstrate progress, set examples, and help raise the bar for everyone while keeping trust and partnership at the centre of our work.
The strength of Supplier to Zero lies in collaboration — between suppliers who lead by example and partners who recognise their efforts. Real progress happens when every supplier in the value chain is part of the journey, not just those at the first tier.
Supplier to Zero V2 rewards suppliers who extend their commitment upstream — engaging their partners, sharing know‑how, and ensuring best practices are applied where materials and chemicals first enter the process. That’s how meaningful change takes root: when responsibility spreads, impact multiplies, and progress becomes systemic.
With V2, we are building a framework that speaks to the full depth of the supply chain — practical for daily use, powerful in its reach, and built to inspire continuous improvement at every level.
The evolution of Supplier to Zero is just beginning. In the months ahead, we’ll continue to improve how progress is measured, recognised, and shared across the value chain.
For suppliers, that means a clearer journey and a stronger voice.
For brands, it means better alignment and more credible insights.
And for the industry, it means a united path toward safer chemistry — one built on trust, progress, and shared leadership.
The Roadmap to Zero defines the direction. Supplier to Zero makes sure we can walk it — together.
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