Making EcoVadis great again

The first thing that strikes you when you delve deeper into the world of sustainability is the prevalence of industry jargon and the relentless focus on risk and materiality. But underneath it all is a core business need to be externally credited for sustainable practices, and to be chosen by customers, clients and investors over competitors. Corporate reputation is everything. This is where the myriad of sustainability rating agencies have found their niche and where EcoVadis stands out.

Why EcoVadis?

The majority of our clients are assessed by more than one sustainability rating agency, and because each rating is underpinned by a different methodology serving a different purpose, we do not make recommendations or endorse one over the other. The reality is that many companies do not have a choice. It therefore becomes a question of maximising the business value of engaging with these rating agencies, particularly when sustainability functions are often under-resourced and overburdened. Or put more simply, making sure your results meet your stakeholder expectations.

For those of us in the space, EcoVadis is an old friend, but its scope and purpose are much changed relative to the early days. Today’s is a robust assessment of policies, actions and results against up to 21 sustainability criteria across four themes; Environment, Labour and Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement. In 2025, Ecovadis is shorthand for best practice sustainable business operations, and the medals and scorecards awarded to companies are invaluable tools to demonstrate and market the maturity of their practices.

Who cares? 

Trading partners, particularly customers, will request suppliers to share their EcoVadis scorecard through the portal, to inform their procurement management. Many will have set minimum score thresholds, below which they will cease to trade with a supplier. Similarly, many smaller investment houses are incorporating EcoVadis results into their portfolio screening and management. No scorecard means no seat at the table.

Unlike some rating agency peers, EcoVadis require all claims to be evidenced with relevant documentation; policies, reports, certifications, KPIs and action plans. This is what makes the rating credible. The more documented systems, measurable goals and supplier controls a company has, the higher the score. In this context, getting a medal is not just about participation, it’s a reflection of quality of information and practices.

Who does all the work?

The EcoVadis medals are awarded based on scoring percentiles, which continue to increase as more companies submit and as their scores improve each year. This means that, even in the absence of changes, medals can drop. This also means that the in-house Sustainability teams driving the process are continuously under pressure to supply new evidence. But they cannot do it alone. Timely input from Legal, Compliance, HR, Procurement and Operations is imperative. 

How we can help

At CEN, we can help you to identify and prioritise actions to underpin score improvement year-on-year. Starting with a review of your most recent EcoVadis submission, we can identify the gaps holding your score back, and turn them into targeted, actionable recommendations for your company to focus on. This may include:

• Reviewing internal policy documents to ensure alignment with the EcoVadis scoring requirements.

• Developing and implementing performance targets against relevant sustainability criteria, such as emissions reduction targets, health and safety performance targets, and sustainability-related supplier engagement targets.

• Identifying and implementing relevant sustainability initiatives, such as employee training, energy or carbon saving programmes, or external data verification.

• Expanding and enhancing sustainability data capture.