The Sedex audit is a third-party assessment of corporate social responsibility performance based on the international SMETA standard. It aims to evaluate supply chain compliance in areas such as labor rights, health and safety, environmental protection, and business ethics.

Core Definition and Operational Mechanism

Sedex (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange) is a supply chain ethical data sharing platform established by a UK non-profit organization. Its audit uses the SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) standard and is conducted by third-party agencies. The audit results are shared through the platform for global buyers (such as Walmart, Coca-Cola, etc.) to assess supplier compliance and avoid duplicate audits.

Audit Content and Standards

The Sedex audit covers four core dimensions:

1. Labor Rights: Including the prohibition of child labor/forced labor, wage compliance, and legality of working hours;

2. Health and Safety: Involving fire safety facilities, occupational disease prevention, emergency plans, etc.;

3. Environmental Protection: Requiring compliance with regulations such as排污许可 (emission permits) and waste disposal standards;

4. Business Ethics: Evaluating anti-bribery measures, data confidentiality, and supply chain transparency.

Audit Types and Application Scenarios

Two audit models are provided based on industry needs:

• 2P Audit: Focuses on labor rights and health and safety, suitable for initial applications or basic compliance requirements;

• 4P Audit: Adds assessments for environmental protection and business ethics, commonly used in industries with higher supply chain requirements such as apparel and fast-moving consumer goods.