How to Respond to EcoVadis Questionnaire: A Step-by-Step Guide

Receiving your first EcoVadis questionnaire can feel overwhelming. As a supplier, you know this assessment matters—your customer relationships and future business opportunities depend on it. The good news is that with the right preparation and understanding of what EcoVadis expects, you can submit a strong response that accurately reflects your sustainability efforts.

This guide walks through the EcoVadis assessment structure, what evidence you need, and practical tips to avoid the mistakes that cost suppliers valuable points.

Understanding the EcoVadis Framework

EcoVadis evaluates suppliers across four core themes, each weighted based on your industry and company size:

Environment covers your impact on natural resources, including energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, water use, biodiversity, and waste management. For manufacturers, this theme typically carries the most weight.

Labor & Human Rights examines working conditions, health and safety, employee development, and respect for human rights throughout your operations and supply chain.

Ethics assesses your approach to corruption, anti-competitive practices, and responsible information management. This includes having proper whistleblower mechanisms and supplier due diligence processes.

Sustainable Procurement looks at how you manage sustainability in your own supply chain—essentially, whether you're cascading the same expectations your customers have of you down to your suppliers.

What Evidence to Gather Before You Start

The single biggest mistake suppliers make is starting the questionnaire without gathering documentation first. EcoVadis requires evidence for virtually every claim you make. Here's what to prepare:

For policies and commitments, compile your documented policies on environmental management, health and safety, anti-corruption, human rights, and supplier codes of conduct. If these don't exist as formal documents, you'll need to create them—and yes, EcoVadis can tell the difference between a policy that's actually implemented versus one created just for the assessment.

For actions and results, gather certifications (ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 9001), audit reports, training records, KPI data showing year-over-year improvements, and evidence of employee communication about your policies.

For reported issues, document any incidents (workplace accidents, environmental violations, ethical complaints) and, critically, what corrective actions you took. EcoVadis doesn't expect perfection—they expect accountability and improvement.

The Response Process: Question by Question

Each theme contains multiple questions with tiered response options. Choose the level that matches your actual implementation, not your aspirations. EcoVadis' validation team will scrutinize your evidence.

When a question asks "Do you have a policy covering X?", EcoVadis wants to see a standalone or clearly referenced policy document that specifically addresses that topic. Generic mentions in your employee handbook usually aren't sufficient.

For action-oriented questions about implementation, provide concrete evidence: training attendance records, dated meeting minutes, internal audit schedules, or screenshots of your management system dashboards. Photos of your facility showing waste segregation areas or safety equipment can be surprisingly effective.

When reporting metrics, consistency matters more than perfection. If you report 12% reduction in energy consumption, your evidence needs to show baseline and current measurements using the same methodology.

Common Mistakes That Cost Points

Uploading irrelevant documents. Each document you upload should directly answer the specific question asked. Don't upload your entire environmental report when the question asks only about water management. EcoVadis assessors review hundreds of questionnaires—make their job easy.

Claiming advanced practices without proof. If you select "Yes, with systematic approach and continuous improvement," you need evidence of both the systematic approach (documented procedures, assigned responsibilities) and continuous improvement (trend data, corrective action records).

Ignoring the supply chain. Even small companies need to show they're asking sustainability questions of their key suppliers. This doesn't require sophisticated supplier audit programs, but you should have some mechanism—even if it's a simple supplier questionnaire or contractual clauses.

Not addressing your industry's hotspots. EcoVadis adjusts questions based on your sector. A chemical manufacturer will face detailed questions about hazardous substance management, while an IT services company will see more focus on data privacy and energy efficiency of operations. Understand what matters most for your industry.

After Submission: Understanding Your Score

EcoVadis scores range from 0-100, with ratings of Bronze (45-54), Silver (55-64), Gold (65-74), and Platinum (75-100). The median score across all industries hovers around 46, so even a Bronze rating puts you above average.

You'll receive a detailed scorecard showing your performance in each theme and identifying improvement areas. This feedback is invaluable—it essentially gives you a roadmap for your next assessment.

Scores are valid for 12 months, after which you'll be invited to complete a re-assessment. Use that year wisely to implement the improvements EcoVadis suggested.

Making the Process Manageable

For small and mid-sized suppliers, completing comprehensive ESG questionnaires like EcoVadis requires coordinating input from multiple departments—operations, HR, procurement, finance. Tools like ESG Passport help centralize your ESG data and documentation, making it easier to respond to EcoVadis and other customer questionnaires without starting from scratch each time.

The key is treating EcoVadis not as a one-time compliance exercise but as a framework for genuine improvement. Customers increasingly make purchasing decisions based on these scores. More importantly, the practices EcoVadis measures—resource efficiency, employee safety, ethical operations—directly impact your operational resilience and profitability.

Start with the evidence you have, be honest about gaps, and commit to incremental progress. That approach will serve you far better than inflating claims you can't support.