EcoVadis evaluates how well a company manages sustainability across four key themes:
Environment
Labor & Human Rights
Ethics
Sustainable Procurement
The scoring methodology is based on documented evidence and external risk-monitoring. Every company receives a scorecard (0–100) summarizing their performance and benchmarked against industry peers.
This article explains how scores are calculated, how documents influence results, and how medals and badges are awarded.
How scores are built
EcoVadis uses 7 Management Indicators to evaluate your sustainability practices:
Indicator
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What it represents
|
Policies
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Your company’s formal, written commitments and objectives
|
Endorsements
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Public commitments to recognized external sustainability initiatives
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Measures / Actions
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Concrete programs, procedures, and activities implemented
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Certifications
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Accredited certifications such as ISO 14001, ISO 45001, SA8000, etc.
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Coverage
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Level of deployment across sites and employees
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Reporting
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Quantitative KPIs and published performance
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360° Watch
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External information from media, NGOs, databases, and government sources
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Each indicator is scored between 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100, based on the completeness and quality of the evidence provided.
Score
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Meaning
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0
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No evidence available
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25
|
Partial coverage; missing details
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50
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Adequate practices in place
|
75
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Advanced, structured system
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100
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Complete and innovative practices with external recognition
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The scores of all indicators are then combined and weighted to generate a score per theme (Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, Sustainable Procurement). The overall score is a weighted average of these themes.
What influences your score?
1. Your documents
EcoVadis only accepts formal, credible and recent documents. Self-declarations or claims without proof are not considered. Missing or weak documentation leads directly to lower scores.
2. Company size
Requirements get stricter as company size increases. Larger businesses must show broader policies, stronger reporting, and proof of deployment across sites cf5c3dd5-675b-47c5-8a0d-2a2ce98….
3. Country risk
EcoVadis adjusts scoring depending on the risk level of the country where operations take place. Companies in higher-risk countries are expected to have stronger controls and evidence.
Role of Each Management Indicator
Below is a practical explanation of what the EcoVadis analysts score:
1. Policies
Written commitments addressing sector-relevant sustainability issues.
Quality is based on specificity, scope, governance, and update frequency.
2. Endorsements
Membership in responsible international initiatives (e.g., UN Global Compact).
Most relevant endorsement is scored; extra points added for additional initiatives.
3. Measures / Actions
Evidence of concrete implementation: trainings, audits, procedures, supplier monitoring, whistleblowing channels, etc.
4. Certifications
Valid, accredited certifications, correctly scoped to the assessed entity (ISO 14001, ISO 45001, SA8000, etc.).
5. Coverage (for large companies only)
Measures must be deployed at scale (across sites, employees, suppliers). Example: % of sites certified or % of staff trained.
6. Reporting
Quantified KPIs such as GHG emissions, waste, accidents, diversity, supplier performance.
KPIs must be less than 2 years old and clearly structured.
7. 360° Watch
External monitoring of controversies, such as fines, accidents, data breaches, human-rights violations, or corruption.
Positive findings can improve scores; negative findings can reduce them.
Final Score Results
Companies receive a final score between 0 and 100, categorized as:
Score Range
|
Level
|
85–100
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Excellent (Leader)
|
65–84
|
Advanced
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45–64
|
Moderate
|
25–44
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Partial
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0–24
|
Insufficient
|
A detailed scorecard highlights strengths and improvement areas for every theme.
Medals and Badges
EcoVadis awards medals based on percentile rankings.
Medal
|
Minimum Score (2024)
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Platinum
|
81+
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Gold
|
73+
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Silver
|
66+
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Bronze
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58+
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To be eligible, companies must also:
score at least 30 in each theme, and
not have severe issues flagged by 360° Watch
EcoVadis also offers Badges, such as:
Committed: score ≥45
Fast Mover: score 34–44 with +6 point improvement within 18 months
Medals and badges are valid for 12 months.
Why documentation matters
EcoVadis scoring is evidence-based:
No supporting document = no points
Outdated documents reduce score
Group-level documents are accepted only if they apply clearly to the evaluated scope
KPIs older than 2 years are not valid
Best-performing companies often submit fewer, high-quality consolidated documents, like a CSR report covering all criteria.