Supplier Benchmarking Doug Jackson, founder and chief revenue officer of Storm Creek, PPAI 100’s No. 28 supplier, says the story of the survey results is momentum. “The industry is moving from informal, ad hoc responsibility toward dedicated ownership and third-party accountability,” Jackson says. “That’s the direction we want to see, even if it’s concentrated among larger suppliers for now, because it suggests the structure for real accountability is being built.” Must Read | The State Of Responsibility 2026 TABLE 1: How is sustainability, responsible sourcing, and compliance managed within your organization? Combination of internal and external resources External expert or third-party support Dedicated internal role or team Part of an existing role Not formally assigned Suppliers $100M+ 38% 0% 62% 0% 0% Suppliers $25M-$100M 38% 0% 41% 21% 0% Suppliers $10M-$25M 22% 0% 39% 30% 9% Suppliers $3M-$10M 40% 5% 5% 35% 15% Suppliers Under $3M 43% 0% 14% 29% 14% TABLE 2: Which best describes your governance and supplier accountability practices? Third-party audits and continuous improvement Supplier requirements and monitoring Documented internal policies Informal expectations Suppliers $100M+ 62% 23% 15% 0% Suppliers $25M-$100M 53% 12% 21% 15% Suppliers $10M-$25M 30% 17% 26% 26% Suppliers $3M-$10M 45% 25% 20% 10% Suppliers Under $3M 0% 29% 29% 43% “We don’t just benchmark ourselves against other suppliers our size,” Jackson says. “We track against the broader corporate population, including Fortune 1000 companies and frameworks like SBTi, because that’s what the largest end buyers are actually measuring against. The bigger takeaway from this survey is that the industry needs to move past ambiguous, feel-good language toward claims that can actually be proved – and this is a good opportunity for PPAI to push suppliers in that direction.” 28 • OCTOBER 2026 •
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