EcoVadis

How does the EcoVadis assessment process work?

1. **Define the scope and profile**  

We map out the legal entity, activities, size, and geographical scope of the assessment. This information determines which questions and criteria are relevant.

2. **Baseline assessment and gap analysis**  

We analyse your current policies, measures, reporting, and available supporting evidence. This quickly reveals where your organisation is already performing well and where gaps remain.

3. **Develop an improvement plan**  

We translate the analysis into a concrete action plan. We distinguish between improvements that are essential for the assessment and actions that create additional value over the longer term.

4. **Strengthen policies and supporting evidence**  

We support you in developing or improving policy documents, objectives, procedures, KPIs, supplier criteria, reporting, and other relevant documentation.

5. **Prepare and submit the questionnaire**  

We help you formulate clear answers, select the right supporting evidence, and build a consistent and complete submission. Your organisation remains actively involved and responsible for the information provided.

6. **Analyse the scorecard and improve**  

Once the scorecard is received, we review the results and priorities together. The identified areas for improvement form the basis for a corrective action plan and a stronger performance in your next assessment.

Can we pursue an EcoVadis assessment without ESG reporting?

Yes. A published sustainability report can provide valuable supporting evidence, but it is not the only way to demonstrate your performance.

Policy documents, procedures, certificates, audits, records, action plans, and internal KPI reports can also be relevant. However, the documents must be formal, up to date, credible, and appropriate to the scope of the assessment.

What do the EcoVadis score and medals mean?

The EcoVadis score ranges from 0 to 100 and reflects the quality of an organisation’s sustainability management system at the time of the assessment.

A medal is not awarded based on a fixed score threshold, but on an organisation’s percentile ranking compared with all companies assessed by EcoVadis during the previous twelve months:

- Platinum: top 1%

- Gold: top 5%

- Silver: top 15%

- Bronze: top 35%

Additional eligibility criteria also apply. For example, an organisation is not eligible for a medal if any of its four theme scores is below 30.

The scorecard and any awarded medal or badge are valid for twelve months.

Do I need to measure my CO₂ footprint for EcoVadis?

That depends on the company profile and the criteria activated for the assessment. Energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are part of the Environment theme and can carry significant weight for organisations with a relevant climate impact.

A well-documented CO₂ footprint helps make emissions measurable, set reduction targets, and demonstrate progress. For many organisations, it is therefore an important building block for achieving a stronger EcoVadis assessment, even when a complete carbon footprint is not explicitly required.

Does EcoVadis help with CSRD or VSME?

Yes, but EcoVadis does not replace CSRD or VSME reporting. The frameworks have different objectives and methodologies.

However, there is significant overlap in areas such as climate, employees, human rights, business ethics, and the value chain. Policies, actions, KPIs, and supporting evidence developed for EcoVadis can therefore also be valuable for broader ESG reporting.

What is the difference between EcoVadis and B Corp?

EcoVadis primarily assesses the quality of an organisation’s sustainability management system and is widely used in business relationships and international supply chains.

B Corp is a broader business certification that evaluates a company’s overall impact and how stakeholder interests are embedded in its governance and business operations.

The two frameworks are not interchangeable, but they can reinforce each other. Policies, KPIs, and processes developed for one framework can often serve as a strong foundation for the other.

Why work with Sustainability Partner?

Sustainability Partner combines expertise in ESG and sustainability management with a pragmatic approach tailored to SMEs and mid-sized companies.

We support your organisation from the initial baseline assessment through to a complete and well-substantiated submission. After the assessment, we help translate your scorecard into concrete improvement actions.

You can rely on us for:

- an EcoVadis gap assessment;

- analysis and structuring of supporting evidence;

- development or improvement of policies and procedures;

- support with KPIs and sustainability reporting;

- CO₂ footprinting and climate strategy;

- sustainable procurement and supplier policies;

- preparation of the questionnaire;

- analysis of your scorecard;

- a corrective action plan;

- support towards your next assessment.

Our goal is not to make your sustainability performance look better than it is. We make visible what your organisation is already doing and build strategically on the areas where further improvement is needed.