If you’re starting with EcoVadis or you’re actually looking to improve your score, this is the time to look at this series. I have Stephanie with me, who’s done more than hundreds of EcoVadis assessments and is one of our seniors on the EcoVadis team. She will guide you through introducing the EcoVadis assessment right now.
Hi, in this first episode I’ll take you through the fundamentals of EcoVadis before we dive into more detail in the rest of this video series.
So, if your company hasn’t been assessed yet, now might be the perfect time to get started.
Whether you’re looking to meet customer expectations, stand out in your industry, or simply build a solid sustainability strategy, an EcoVadis rating is a great step in the right direction.
EcoVadis is a globally recognised sustainability rating provider that evaluates a company’s sustainability management system.
Since 2007, EcoVadis has grown into a globally trusted provider of business sustainability ratings, with a network of over 150,000 rated companies across various industries and geographies.
By providing a rating, EcoVadis helps companies respond to sustainability challenges by understanding the strength of their sustainability management systems and allowing them to track and improve progress over time.
What exactly is the framework through which EcoVadis evaluates sustainability management?
EcoVadis looks at multiple sustainability criteria grouped into four key areas, or pillars: environment, labour and human rights, business ethics, and sustainable procurement.
The criteria considered relevant for the assessed company are determined by EcoVadis depending on industry, size, and location. These are called activated criteria.
For example, under the environment pillar, you might have activated criteria relating to water management, air pollution, or waste, depending on your company’s industry.
Under the ethics pillar, you might have topics like corruption and bribery, activated especially if you’re a large multinational corporation.
In many cases, EcoVadis assessments are requested by customers or business partners who aspire to responsible practices throughout their supply chain.
And it’s not just for large companies — companies of all sizes and across all industries can take the assessment.
So what exactly does an EcoVadis assessment look like?
The assessment is tailor-made for a company based on their industry, size, and geography, in the form of a questionnaire generated with questions relating to the four pillars: environment, labour and human rights, business ethics, and sustainable procurement.
Based on the answers, EcoVadis determines the score of the company.
This score is an indicator of the quality of the company’s sustainability management system, and the top scoring companies receive a medal.
EcoVadis awards bronze, silver, gold, or for the top 1%, even a platinum medal.
A medal represents your achievement as a company and can be communicated to your business partners.
Later in this series, we’ll dive into how the assessment actually works.
But let’s wrap up with this — why do businesses invest in an EcoVadis rating, and is this something that might be relevant for your business?
With an EcoVadis assessment, you’ll receive a score that reflects how well sustainability management is integrated into your company.
This score helps you benchmark performance against others in your industry.
A strong EcoVadis rating can set your business apart, showing your customers, partners, and stakeholders that you’re serious about sustainability.
For many companies, getting rated isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s something that their customers or business partners actually require.
More and more organisations want to ensure responsible practices throughout their supply chains.
Having an EcoVadis score can help you firstly meet the requests of your business partners and secondly remain competitive in your business ecosystem.
Beyond that, the assessment gives you a clear picture of where you stand.
A detailed scorecard highlights your strengths and identifies areas for improvement.
That’s valuable because the sooner you spot any gaps, the sooner you can take action.
Think of it as a roadmap for making meaningful sustainability improvements.
Thank you once again, Stephanie, for introducing EcoVadis to all viewers.
Stick around because now it’s time for the next episode — the episode all about the EcoVadis assessment itself, including documentation, how to put commentaries, page numbers, and how the pillars are set up in this assessment.
So, stick around with Stephanie.
