EcoVadis provides a clear and structured framework for measuring performance in key areas such as environment, human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. The EcoVadis certification process is designed to provide companies with a detailed picture of their impact in the value chain and to support continuous improvement of sustainability practices. The information presented in this article is published by EcoVadis and describes the assessment steps, required documents, scoring methodology and the validity of the certification, thus providing a clear guide for companies wishing to achieve or maintain EcoVadis certification.

1. Steps in the certification process

The EcoVadis process has 5 main steps:

Registration - creating your company profile on the platform.

Questionnaire completion - personalised answers based on industry, company size and location. Questionnaire completion depends on the company - EcoVadis offers a flexible timeframe for completion, and the duration depends on how quickly the company manages to collect and submit the documents.

Expert analysis - review of documents by EcoVadis team (6-8 weeks)

Results - score and possibly a medal

Recognition - sharing results in the supply chain.

2. Documents needed

Companies must provide documentation relevant to sustainability, including:

Policies and procedures

Examples: general sustainability policy, anti-corruption and anti-bribery policy, human rights policy, occupational health and safety policy, privacy and data protection policy, gender equality and diversity policy, sustainable procurement policy

ESG Reports

Examples: climate impact report (e.g. CDP Climate Change Report), energy and natural resource consumption report, diversity, equity and inclusion report, ethical compliance incident and corrective action report, internal or external ESG risk assessments

Supply chain documents

Examples: due diligence policy for suppliers, list of audited suppliers and their ESG scores, social and labour compliance assessments of suppliers, raw material traceability reports, contracts with ESG clauses included

Relevant certifications

Example:

environmental certifications: ISO 14064 (Standard for greenhouse gas emissions management), EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, EU certification for environmental management), LEED/BREEAM (Sustainable Building Certification)

Certifications for labour rights and ethics: ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management), Fair Trade Certifications (e.g. Fairtrade International), B Corp Certification (Global Environmental and Social Performance Assessment)

Sustainable supply chain certifications: RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) - for sustainable palm oil, FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) - for sustainable wood products, Rainforest Alliance Certification - for sustainable agricultural products

social responsibility certifications: UN Global Compact - commitment to the 10 principles on human rights, labour and the environment, GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) - standards for sustainability reporting, CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) - assessment of the company's climate impact.

3. Evaluation methodology

EcoVadis assesses companies based on four main pillars. The first pillar is Environment, which includes issues such as CO₂ emissions and waste management. The second pillar is Labour and Human Rights, which looks at working conditions and diversity. The third pillar, Ethics, covers issues such as anti-corruption policies and data protection. Finally, Sustainable Procurement looks at social responsibility policies applied to suppliers.

4. EcoVadis score and recognition

Companies are given an overall score on a scale from 0 to 100, as well as individual scores for each pillar assessed. If the overall score exceeds 47 points, the company can earn an EcoVadis medal, categorised as follows: Bronze for scores between 50-58, Silver for 59-69, Gold for 70-77 and Platinum for scores of 78 and above. The score obtained is valid for 12 months.

5. Validity of certification and reassessment

EcoVadis certification is valid for 12 months, after which companies are encouraged to apply for an annual re-assessment. This process helps to maintain the score and improve sustainability performance. In addition, if a company adds new evidence that improves the assessment criteria, it can request a re-scoring.