The Automotive Aftermarket] is constantly changing. In addition to price, availability and technical quality, another factor is increasingly coming into focus: traceable sustainability standards along the entire supply chain.
For many technical buyers in the wholesale trade and also for fleet operators, a very practical question arises today:
Do my suppliers meet the increasing environmental, corporate governance and social responsibility requirements?
After all, these requirements do not only arise from social expectations. They are increasingly determined by customer requirements, tenders and regulatory requirements.
Why sustainability can become a decision-making criterion in the spare parts business
Everyday life in the aftermarket is all about fast and efficient processes. Parts must be available, quality must stand out in the long term and processes must remain efficient.
At the same time, there is growing political and social pressure to make supply chains more transparent and traceable. Larger retail organizations, international workshop networks and fleet operators in particular must now increasingly be able to prove which partners they work with and which standards they adhere to.
Sustainability is therefore becoming part of the corporate risk assessment. Anyone procuring parts today no longer just looks at technical specifications. Issues such as responsible corporate governance, energy consumption and labor standards are also becoming increasingly important. But how are these factors made measurable?
When sustainability becomes measurable
This is precisely where independent rating platforms come in. They create comparability and transparency by assessing companies based on clearly defined criteria. One such platform is Inteliam, which focuses specifically on the Automotive Aftermarket]. Companies are evaluated there on the basis of several ESG dimensions. These include, among others:
- Corporate guidelines and reporting structures
- Environmental aspects such as energy consumption or circular approaches
- Governance issues such as fair competition and anti-corruption measures
- Social criteria such as occupational safety and human rights
The aim of such assessments is clear: to make sustainability comprehensible and comparable without individual market participants having to carry out their own complex audits.
Sustainability at Hengst
At Hengst, we do not see sustainability as an additional topic, but as an integral part of our business activities. Reliability and transparency are part of our everyday practice, which is now also reflected in the independent assessment by Inteliam:
We have received the Supplier Sustainability Card in silver from Inteliam for the year 2025. With 72 out of a possible 100 points, the independent assessment confirms that we meet the ESG requirements in the Automotive Aftermarket] at a high level.
"Sustainability is not a trend for us, but an integral part of our business strategy. The Supplier Sustainability Card confirms that we meet the increasing ESG requirements of our partners in the Automotive Aftermarket]."
Guido Schneider
Director Aftermarket Sales Europe
Sustainability does not end with an assessment
Independent ratings are helpful because they make progress visible and provide orientation. At the same time, we do not see them as a goal, but as part of a continuous development process.
That is why we at Hengst are working to systematically develop sustainability in various areas of our company. This includes, among other things
- the continuous evaluation of our sustainability performance by external platforms
- science-based climate targets in the frame of the Science Based Targets initiative
- participation in the United Nations Global Compact, the world's largest initiative for responsible corporate governance
Our employees also play a central role in this. Sustainability is not created by strategy papers alone. It is created in everyday life - from product development to the supply chain and internal processes.
"Assessments such as those from Inteliam or EcoVadis help us to make our progress transparent and develop it further in a targeted manner. They are both a benchmark and an incentive for us."
Thomas Hülsdau
Sustainability Manager
What this means in concrete terms for wholesalers
This creates a very practical benefit for our partners in the Automotive Aftermarket]. Transparent sustainability standards create trust and make decisions easier. For wholesalers, this means above all
- more security when selecting long-term suppliers
- comprehensible ESG standards in the supply chain
- a reliable basis for their own sustainability requirements
What this means in concrete terms for garages
Garages and fleets also benefit from this. They can rely on the fact that products and partners not only function technically, but are also created responsibly along the entire value chain. Especially in a market that is changing rapidly in terms of technology and regulation, this transparency is an important stability factor. As Hengst, we promise to continue to ensure that sustainability is practiced in the best possible way. In doing so, puifying our planet stands as a central point of the brand for a tomorrow that is clean.
Would you like to find out more about sustainability at Hengst and the Inteliam assessment?
You can find more information in the press release:
