While the main report analyzes and ranks 18 of the world’s leading automakers on their supply chain performance, this companion brief documents what leading practice looks like—presenting concrete examples of how top-performing automakers are implementing more targeted and impactful approaches across the Leaderboard’s eight subsections. It is designed as a practical resource for automakers, investors, regulators, and other stakeholders working to drive meaningful progress toward equitable, sustainable, and fossil-free automotive supply chains.
The full Leaderboard dataset and individual company scorecards can be found here.
What’s Inside
The 2026 Leaderboard findings reveal an important shift in how leading automakers are approaching supply chain sustainability and human rights due diligence. Industry leaders are beginning to differentiate themselves by implementing more targeted supply chain strategies at the material and issue-specific level—bringing their practices more fully in line with international due diligence frameworks such as the UNGPs and OECD Due Diligence instruments.
Who Leads Where?
The briefing reveals that leading automakers are moving beyond formulaic, one-size-fits-all approaches to deploy more targeted interventions. Key examples include:
- Volvo’s position paper on sustainable steel outlining strategies to use leverage for industry decarbonization
- Mercedes’ Raw Material Report setting out theories of change across 12 priority raw material supply chains
- Tesla’s integrated supply chain mapping tool with detailed disclosure of mining companies and mine sites
- Ford’s direct engagement with smelters and refiners to build due diligence capacity
These shifts create powerful opportunities for automakers to articulate their impact in ways that resonate with consumers, employees, and shareholders—while also future-proofing supply chains as regulatory pressures mount.
Fossil-Free and Environmentally Sustainable Supply Chains
This section covers best practices across four key areas:
General (Climate & Environment) — Supply chain emissions management, water risk management, and deforestation risk management. Top performers include BMW (67%), Ford (58%), Volkswagen (54%), Volvo (53%), and Mercedes (51%).
철강 — Emissions disclosure, decarbonization targets, recycling, and offtake agreements for green steel. Volvo leads at 58%—the only company to exceed 50% in this subsection.
Aluminium — Decarbonization targets, recycling initiatives, and supply chain levers including ASI certification. Volvo leads at 55%, marking the first time any company has exceeded 50%.
철강 — Emissions disclosure, decarbonization and circularity targets, environmental due diligence for battery minerals, and recycling processes. Tesla leads at 56%.
Human Rights and Responsible Sourcing
This section covers best practices across four key areas:
General Human Rights Due Diligence — Risk identification, supplier monitoring, grievance mechanisms, and remediation. Top performers include BMW (73%), Ford (73%), Volkswagen (68%), Stellantis (64%), and Volvo (64%).
Responsible Transition Minerals Sourcing — Supply chain mapping, smelter/refiner disclosure, and engagement with extractive companies. Ford leads at 70%, followed by Tesla at 69%.
Indigenous Peoples’ Rights — Commitments to UNDRIP and FPIC, risk identification, and engagement with mining suppliers. Ford and Mercedes lead at 26%.
Workers’ Rights in the Supply Chain — Living wage commitments, trade union engagement, and remedy for workers. Mercedes leads at 48%.
