EcoVadis for Suppliers: Complete Response Guide

EcoVadis has become the default sustainability assessment platform for supply chains. With over 100,000 rated companies and major corporations using it to evaluate suppliers, receiving an EcoVadis invitation is increasingly a standard part of doing business with large customers.

This guide covers everything suppliers need to know: how the platform works, what to expect in each section, how scoring operates, and how to systematically improve your rating over time.

How EcoVadis Ratings Work

EcoVadis produces a score from 0-100 and assigns medal ratings:

Platinum (top 1%): Score 73+. Exceptional performers with comprehensive sustainability programs, verified data, and demonstrable leadership.

Gold (top 5%): Score 61-72. Strong performers across all themes with documented policies, active programs, and measurable results.

Silver (top 25%): Score 45-60. Good performers with established policies and evidence of implementation.

Bronze (top 50%): Score 37-44. Basic sustainability management in place with room for improvement.

No medal: Score below 37. Gaps in sustainability management requiring attention.

For most suppliers, Silver or Bronze in the first year is a reasonable target. The goal is continuous improvement—moving up over subsequent assessments.

Understanding the Scoring Matrix

EcoVadis uses a consistent framework across all four themes (Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, Sustainable Procurement):

Policies (weight: ~25%) Does documented policy exist? Is it comprehensive? Is it appropriate to your company size and industry? Policies show that you've systematically thought about an issue.

Evidence: Upload actual policy documents. Policy statements on websites count but carry less weight than formal documented policies.

Actions (weight: ~35%) What are you actually doing? Training programs, audits, improvement projects, management systems, operational procedures. Actions demonstrate implementation beyond paper commitments.

Evidence: Training records, audit reports, project descriptions, procedure documents, meeting minutes.

Results (weight: ~30%) What outcomes have you achieved? Quantitative data showing performance—emissions reduced, incident rates improved, training hours delivered, waste diverted. Results prove that actions have impact.

Evidence: Data reports, trend charts, KPI summaries, performance metrics with year-over-year comparison.

Advanced indicators (weight: ~10%) Are you addressing emerging issues? Supply chain engagement, third-party verification, reporting beyond basics, innovative approaches. These differentiate leaders from good performers.

Evidence: Verification statements, sustainability reports, supply chain programs, certifications.

The implication: policies alone don't score well. You need to show the progression from policy → actions → results. Each level builds on the previous.

Section-by-Section Strategy

Environment

Key topics: Energy consumption and emissions, water use, waste management, materials and chemicals, biodiversity, product lifecycle impact.

Minimum requirements:

• Environmental policy document
• Energy consumption data (ideally with emission calculations)
• Waste management data or description
• Any environmental certifications (ISO 14001 is highly valued)

Quick wins:

• Document any environmental initiatives already underway
• Calculate basic carbon footprint (Scope 1 and 2)
• Set at least one environmental target
• Describe waste segregation and recycling practices

Advanced improvements:

• Scope 3 emissions accounting
• Third-party verified emissions data
• Science-based targets
• Life cycle assessment of products
• Environmental management system certification

Labor & Human Rights

Key topics: Health and safety, working conditions, labor rights, non-discrimination, training and development, employee engagement.

Minimum requirements:

• Health and safety policy
• Safety incident data
• Basic HR policies (working hours, non-discrimination)
• Training records

Quick wins:

• Document existing safety programs and training
• Track and report safety incident rates (LTIR, TRIR)
• Ensure HR policies cover key labor rights
• Describe career development or training programs

Advanced improvements:

• ISO 45001 certification
• Third-party safety audits
• Formal diversity and inclusion program
• Employee satisfaction surveys with results
• External human rights assessment

Ethics

Key topics: Anti-corruption, anti-competitive practices, data protection, responsible information management, ethical business conduct.

Minimum requirements:

• Code of ethics or business conduct
• Anti-corruption policy
• Basic data protection procedures

Quick wins:

• Create or formalize code of conduct
• Document anti-bribery training for relevant employees
• Describe whistleblowing or reporting mechanisms
• Ensure data protection basics are documented

Advanced improvements:

• Third-party ethics hotline
• Anti-corruption certification
• Formal compliance program with audits
• External ethics assessment
• Board-level ethics oversight

Sustainable Procurement

Key topics: Supplier assessment processes, supplier code of conduct, supply chain environmental and social practices.

Minimum requirements:

• Supplier code of conduct or expectations document
• Description of how you evaluate suppliers
• Some evidence of supplier engagement on sustainability

Quick wins:

• Create supplier code of conduct (can adapt standard templates)
• Document existing supplier evaluation criteria
• Add sustainability questions to supplier assessments
• Describe any supplier audits or visits

Advanced improvements:

• Formal sustainable procurement program
• Supplier sustainability assessments at scale
• Supply chain traceability programs
• Third-party supply chain audits
• Scope 3 supplier engagement

Documentation That Matters

EcoVadis assessors verify claims against uploaded evidence. Documents that score well:

Policies: Dated, signed by leadership, comprehensive in scope, reviewed/updated periodically. A two-page policy is fine if it covers the essentials.

Certifications: Current certificates (not expired), from recognized bodies, covering relevant scopes.

Data reports: Clear figures with units, specified time periods, comparison to previous years where possible, methodology notes.

Training records: Attendance lists, completion certificates, training calendar, topic descriptions.

Audit reports: Internal or external, recent, showing findings and corrective actions.

What doesn't work:

• Marketing materials presented as policies
• Vague commitments without specifics
• Outdated documents (more than 2-3 years old)
• Data without context or methodology
• Claims without any supporting evidence

Improvement Planning

After receiving your score, EcoVadis provides a corrective action plan identifying specific improvements. Use this systematically:

Prioritize by impact: Not all improvements have equal scoring impact. Focus first on areas where you're significantly below industry average or where straightforward actions can address gaps.

Address documentation gaps: Sometimes you're doing things but haven't documented them. If the corrective action suggests you lack a program that actually exists, the fix is documentation, not implementation.

Set timeline for substantive changes: If you genuinely need to implement new programs, plan realistically. You have 12 months until reassessment—what can you achieve?

Track progress: Maintain a list of corrective actions with status. This becomes evidence for your next assessment showing systematic improvement approach.

Timing Your Reassessment

EcoVadis ratings are valid for 12 months. Plan your annual cycle:

Months 1-2: Review corrective action plan, prioritize improvements.

Months 3-8: Implement improvements, gather documentation, track results.

Months 9-10: Compile new evidence, update data, prepare response materials.

Months 11-12: Complete reassessment questionnaire, submit before expiration.

Starting reassessment early gives time to gather any missing data and avoids deadline pressure.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Answering "no" when "partial" applies. If you do something informally, that's better than nothing. Look for partial credit options.

Not explaining your context. A 20-person company doesn't need the same programs as a 2,000-person company. Add notes explaining your scale and approach.

Uploading everything you have. More documents isn't better. Upload specific, relevant evidence. Quality over quantity.

Ignoring sustainable procurement. Many suppliers neglect this section. Basic effort—a supplier code of conduct, documented evaluation process—scores points competitors miss.

Treating it as one-time. EcoVadis rewards improvement trajectory. Year-over-year gains in score signal a company that's genuinely progressing.

The Long Game

EcoVadis scores compound over time. A supplier who starts at 38 (no medal), improves to 42 (Bronze), then 47 (Silver), then 53 (solid Silver) demonstrates exactly what customers want: systematic improvement.

The initial score matters less than the trajectory. Focus on building genuine capability—tracking data, implementing programs, documenting practices—and the score follows.

Your EcoVadis rating becomes a credential that serves your entire customer base. Investment in getting it right pays dividends across every relationship with EcoVadis-using customers.

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