Ekwato launches its new "Source" module to meet EUDR requirements

A few months before the adoption of the EUDR (16/05/2023), FSC International organized the ʺWood you find it?ʺ meeting in Brussels (25/04/2023) on the subject of traceability in relation to the requirements of the EUDR regulation. EKWATO was present at this meeting. This new European regulation raised many questions, and elements of response were already put forward by the panel of experts interviewed:

"It is mandatory to know all sources, all plots, whatever the quantityʺ (Astrid Ladefoged, Head of unit, Planetary common goods, Universal values & environmental security, European commission).
ʺThe problem is not the [geolocation] data. The problem is how to 'transport' that data. Everyone has to make an effort to make it work.ʺ (Joanna Nowakowska, System Performance Director at Forest Stewardship Council International).

Seven months before the EUDR comes into force for companies (12/31/2024, and 06/30/2025 for VSEs/SMEs), Ekwato offers its new SOURCE module for all companies affected by the EUDR. Its functionalities enable companies to:

record forest parcels, whether created by the company or imported from a Geographic Information System (GIS), particularly the forester's own, including their period of use;
to link these used forest plots to the wood products concerned, including for each component of a wood product;
gather all the information needed to issue a "Declaration of Due Diligence" with all the geographical coordinates of all the forest plots used (as required by appendix 2 of the EUDR).

So this new module provides positive answers to the technical challenges expressed at the FSC meeting (see above): allocating a large number of used forests to wood products over time is possible.

This new module complements the existing Ekwato software modules to facilitate the company's Due Diligence System (DDS):

COLLECT module (automated collection of documents from suppliers, with free access to the platform),
RISK module (customized, automated, real-time decision tree risk analysis for each wood product, including risk reduction measures),
the SHARE module (making documents available to customers on a dedicated, secure platform, 24 hours a day, so they can consult them for their own DDS).

What about time? How much time does your company allow to risk analysis of its wood products supply chain?

A few figures on the subject of administrative time:

80% of organizations appreciate the importance of technology in achieving their sustainability goals, yet 52% use automation to improve efficiency. [1]
around 40% of time spent on routine activities is considered inefficient (including 45% on emails). [2]
82% of organizations consider lack of time and team to be major obstacles. [3]
meeting legal obligations is the No. 1 driving force for ETIs and large companies. [3]

Innovation and task automation make it easier for companies to carry out risk analysis (DDS) in order to respond more effectively to internal (purchasing policy), normative (FSC, PEFC certification, others) and regulatory (EUTR/EUDR) requirements. An internal study carried out by Ekwato shows that users save time by using Ekwato software for their DDS, not to mention the significant reduction in errors.

Ekwato provides a solution to the technical challenges imposed by EUDR in the supply chain: the evolution of the level of risk over time, and the evolution of the multiple origins of the forests used over time.

Ekwato will be present at the Carrefour International du Bois (CIB) in Nantes from 28 to 30/05, and will be speaking at the ATIBT stand on 29/05 at 10am.

[1]: "Global Sustainability Barometer" conducted by Ecosystem in collaboration with Kyndryl and Microsoft shows how companies are faring in terms of sustainable development.

Source :

https://www.kyndryl.com/in/en/about-us/news/2023/12/global-sustainability-barometer-study-findings

[2] : Results of PwC's annual survey of 4702 CEOs in various countries.

Source :

https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/c-suite-insights/ceo-survey.html

[3]: Baromètre RSE 2024 en France (3rd edition) conducted by Vendredi and Kantar based on a survey in January 2024 of 940 respondents from VSEs, SMEs, ETIs and large corporations.

Source :

https://jai-un-pote-dans-la.com/vendredi-kantar-barometre-rse/#:~:text=Le%20Barom%C3%A8tre%20RSE%202024%20%3A%20une%20%C3%A9dition%20%C3%A9clairante&text=L'id%C3%A9e%20%3A%20aider%20concr%C3%A8tement%20toutes,et%20s'approprier%20le%20sujet.

Contact: Vincent Pelé, Founding Director