Compliance watch · Australia
What buyers ask their suppliers for.
The policies, certificates and data that SME, corporate and government buyers request from wholesale suppliers, what drives each request, and what’s changing.
- Mandatory / Always
- Usually / Phasing in
- Sometimes
What’s changing
From 1 July 2027
Climate reporting reaches more companies
Mandatory climate disclosures extend to the third group of large entities. More of your customers will need supplier emissions data.
In effect
Commonwealth sustainable procurement
Covered government procurements in categories including textiles, furniture and ICT goods need environmental commitments and contract reporting.
Under consultation
Packaging regulation reform
Governments are moving towards mandatory packaging design requirements. Expect more requests for item-level packaging data.
Requirements by industry
Requirements most wholesale suppliers see, whatever they sell. Pick an industry for product-specific requirements.
| Requirement | Buyer $25m–$100m | Corporate $100m+ | Government | Why they ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product | ||||
| Safety data sheetsCurrent SDS for hazardous chemicals | Always | Always | Always | WHS Regulations |
| Product safetyEvidence against mandatory standards and bans | Always | Always | Always | Australian Consumer Law |
| Packaging dataMaterials, recyclability, recycled content | Usually | From FY27–28 | From FY27–28 | APCO and the National Packaging Targets |
| Product carbon footprintkg CO₂e per unit | Sometimes | From FY28–29 | From FY28–29 | Scope 3 reasonable assurance kicks in |
| Company | ||||
| InsuranceCertificate of currency for public and product liability | Always | Always | Always | Standard contract terms |
| Supplier code of conductSigned acknowledgement of the buyer’s code, or your own | Usually | Always | Always | Buyer supplier policies; flows down from their own reporting |
| WHS policySafety policy and safe work procedures | Usually | Always | Always | Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and state equivalents |
| Cyber & data securitySecurity questionnaire, data handling policy | Sometimes | Usually | Always | Buyer risk frameworks; Privacy Act 1988 |
| ISO 9001 / 14001 / 45001Certified quality, environmental or safety management | Sometimes | Sometimes | Usually | Voluntary; often scored in tenders |
| Supply chain | ||||
| Modern slaveryQuestionnaire, sourcing policy, supplier risk assessment | Usually | Mandatory | Mandatory | Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth): entities with $100m+ revenue report annually |
| Supply chain mappingManufacturer names and factory locations | Sometimes | Usually | Always | Supports buyers’ modern slavery and climate reporting |
| Social auditsSA8000, SMETA or amfori BSCI reports for key factories | Sometimes | Usually | Usually | Buyer due diligence for higher-risk categories |
| Sustainability | ||||
| Sustainable procurementEnvironmental commitments and contract reporting | Sometimes | Usually | Mandatory | Commonwealth Environmentally Sustainable Procurement Policy; corporate policies |
| Climate dataSupplier emissions inputs for the buyer’s Scope 3 | Sometimes | From FY27–28 | Mandatory | Mandatory climate reporting (AASB S2), phased by company size |
| EcoVadis or similar ratingThird-party sustainability scorecard | Sometimes | Usually | Sometimes | Large corporate supplier programs |
Last reviewed October 2026. Requirements vary by buyer, contract and product; this is general information, not legal advice. SME: buyers under $100m revenue. Corp: $100m+ revenue. Gov: Commonwealth, state and local government.
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