EcoVadis is the world's largest sustainability ratings provider, with 175,000 companies rated. EcoVadis ratings matter. They give companies a holistic view of their sustainability performance, enabling them to assess and share their current performance and what they have to do to improve.
As a rating solution that covers all aspects of sustainability, EcoVadis is considered the gold standard for measuring a company's overall sustainability performance. Companies also increasingly use it to assess the sustainability performance of their suppliers.
If you would like to learn more about the most popular sustainability rating service, have been asked by a customer to use EcoVadis and are looking to report, or would like to improve your score, read on for our tips.
Key Takeaways
- 175,000 companies have been rated by EcoVadis, the largest sustainability ratings provider.
- Small and medium-sized companies and manufacturers dominate reporting due to their supply chain roles.
- EcoVadis awards medals (Bronze to Platinum) to the top 35% of rated companies, and badges for companies building toward a medal.
- Medal cutoffs rise every year, so working with experts is the best way to boost your EcoVadis score.
What is EcoVadis and Why Your Sustainability Rating Matters
EcoVadis is a global provider of corporate sustainability ratings, intelligence, and tools. The company was founded in Paris in 2007 with a purpose to:
Guide all companies toward a sustainable world.
Since its founding, it has grown to become the largest sustainability ratings provider, rating 175,000 companies across more than 180 countries.
To become EcoVadis-rated, companies must complete the EcoVadis assessment process and receive an EcoVadis rating score, both of which are explained below.
Why Large Companies are Incorporating EcoVadis into Procurement Decisions
Sustainability performance is being considered as much as cost in today's business world, which is why EcoVadis is so valuable. It gives companies an easy way to benchmark and track supplier performance, and with 175,000 companies rated, it's one of the best ways to assess your supply chain.
- Standardized Benchmarking: EcoVadis provides a standardized, data-driven framework that allows companies to compare supplier performance consistently across regions and industries, making sustainability-informed procurement decisions more reliable and objective.
- Competitive Advantage: Sustainable procurement ensures that companies reduce exposure to unethical sourcing and environmental risks. Tracking and demonstrating improvements in your supply chain sustainability performance over time can help build a competitive advantage.
- Supplier Engagement: Companies use EcoVadis to engage suppliers, encourage sustainability improvements, set targets, and track progress over time to drive long-term supply chain performance.
Real-World Examples: How AstraZeneca and Wacker Use EcoVadis in Their Supply Chains
AstraZeneca: EcoVadis as a contract requirement.
AstraZeneca has made EcoVadis part of its approved supplier process. Any supplier with more than $250,000 in annual AstraZeneca spend must complete an EcoVadis assessment at the parent company level. Suppliers are expected to reach a minimum overall score of 45, the same score EcoVadis uses for its Committed badge, and to keep a valid scorecard at all times.
Scorecards last 12 months, and AstraZeneca warns that letting one expire can count as non-compliance and put a supplier's approved status at risk. It advises starting reassessments up to three months early, since EcoVadis's own review takes 6-8 weeks after submission. For suppliers, that turns EcoVadis from a nice-to-have into a contract requirement with a renewal deadline. We see the same pattern across other healthcare buyers Merck.
Wacker: EcoVadis as an improvement engine.
Global chemicals manufacturer Wacker uses EcoVadis to evaluate and develop its suppliers. By the end of 2023, 1,044 of its suppliers held valid EcoVadis assessments, up from 992 a year earlier. Of those, 63% improved on their previous rating, and the average supplier score rose from 53 to 57 in a single year.
Together, these examples show both sides of EcoVadis: a gate suppliers must pass to keep the business, and a tool buyers use to push their supply chain to improve year after year.
How the EcoVadis Rating Process Works
To be assessed by EcoVadis, companies follow a four-step process:
- Step 1 EcoVadis Registration: Signing up through the registration page starts the process. Companies share information about their size, name, industry, and geography. This helps EcoVadis create a customized questionnaire and price.
- Step 2 EcoVadis Questionnaire: Once the registration has been processed, companies can begin filling out their customized questionnaire. Depending on how much policy documentation and data you already have, it can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to complete, and supporting documents are required. Finally, a subscription plan is chosen and billing information is provided. Companies share data across 21 sustainability criteria, grouped into four key themes:
- Environment: Evaluates a company's environmental impact, including energy consumption, emissions, and waste management.
- Labor & Human Rights: Looks at labor and human rights practices, including health and safety, working conditions, and diversity.
- Ethics: Focuses on business ethics, such as corruption, bribery, and anti-competitive practices.
- Sustainable Procurement: Assesses how sustainably a company sources its goods and services.
- Step 3 EcoVadis Expert Analysis: EcoVadis sustainability analysts spend 6-8 weeks reviewing the questionnaire answers and supporting evidence, using a methodology based on international standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), ISO 26000, and the United Nations Global Compact.
- Step 4 EcoVadis Results: Companies are notified when their scorecard is available on the EcoVadis platform. If they were invited to complete the assessment by a customer, that customer is notified and can see the scorecard. Scorecards are valid for 12 months. After that, companies must reassess. The results also include suggestions and guidance to improve sustainability and the score.
EcoVadis Ratings
Companies receive their EcoVadis results 6-8 weeks after submitting their questionnaire. They get a score for each theme, an overall score between 0 and 100, and a percentile rank compared with every company EcoVadis rated in the previous 12 months, across all industries. That percentile decides whether they earn a medal:
- Platinum: Top 1%
- Gold: Top 5%
- Silver: Top 15%
- Bronze: Top 35%
To be eligible for any medal, a company also needs a score of at least 30 in each of the four themes. EcoVadis no longer publishes fixed score bands, but the cutoffs as of July 1, 2026 were Platinum 87, Gold 81, Silver 73, and Bronze 65.
In January 2024, EcoVadis also introduced badges to recognize companies that are outside the medal range but performing well or improving fast:
- Committed Badge: A minimum overall score of 45, which EcoVadis classifies as "Good" performance.
- Fast Mover Badge: A score between 34 and 44, with an improvement of at least 6 points on a reassessment within 18 months.
The rating score and medal are based on the scorecard publication date, not the questionnaire completion date. Medals get harder to achieve every year. In 2022, Platinum started at 75 and Gold ranged from 67 to 74. In 2026, a Bronze medal requires 65, so a score that earned Gold four years ago now barely earns Bronze.
Why EcoVadis Ratings Matter
Having EcoVadis verify your company's sustainability credentials gives your claims credibility and shows you're transparent and accountable.
A strong score matters because it can differentiate your business, improve your brand reputation, and help you secure investment and win new customers. Buyers are leaning on ratings more every year: the 2026 EcoVadis Sustainable Procurement Barometer, a survey of 1,000+ global businesses, found that 26% of buyers now cover more than half of their spend with suppliers who get third-party sustainability ratings.
An EcoVadis rating also lets you benchmark your performance against competitors and peers and provides a corrective action plan to improve your score.
From a buyer's perspective, they can use EcoVadis to send suppliers customized questionnaires to better understand sustainability risks in their supply chains and improve procurement practices.
The Importance of EcoVadis in Supply Chain Sustainability
Most companies' sustainability impacts, such as carbon emissions, human rights issues, and waste, are tied to their global supply chains. Buyers can use EcoVadis to send their supply chain partners a customized questionnaire covering all of their sustainability reporting.
Multiple studies show the widespread financial and brand-image benefits of a sustainable supply chain. One World Economic Forum study found that sustainable supply chains can reduce supply chain costs by 9%-16%.
With 1,400+ buyers requesting ratings through its network, EcoVadis helps both buyers and suppliers in the following ways:
- Buyers: It gives buyers a clear and timely way of accurately assessing the sustainability performance of their suppliers, helping them identify opportunities for more sustainable suppliers or drive improvements in existing ones.
- Suppliers: Suppliers can benchmark their performance against competitors and get actionable insights into improving their ESG performance to differentiate their brand and win more business.
Having your company's sustainability credentials verified by EcoVadis validates your claims and ensures you are transparent and accountable.
Why EcoVadis Is For Companies of All Sizes
In EcoVadis's 2023 Index, 48% of EcoVadis reporters were medium-sized businesses, and 34% were small businesses. Its 2026 Index confirms that rated companies are still mostly SMEs.
Why are SMEs the majority of EcoVadis reporters? The main reason lies in the supply chain. Large companies increasingly require suppliers to report to EcoVadis or meet a specific score to maintain business relationships. Manufacturers feel this most.
Here are a few examples of major corporations leveraging EcoVadis in their supply chains:
- GM: GM asked its tier 1 suppliers to sign its Environmental, Social and Governance Partnership Pledge, which is a commitment to achieving a minimum score of 50 on the EcoVadis Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement pillars.
- Nestlé: Assesses more than 3,000 companies, two-thirds of its supplier spend, through EcoVadis to help make procurement decisions.
- Johnson & Johnson: Used EcoVadis to assess the performance of almost a thousand of its suppliers, as part of social due diligence in its supply chain and a contributing factor in its decision-making.
Smaller companies are now using EcoVadis reporting to gain a competitive edge, and those that start early pull ahead. In EcoVadis's 2026 Index, first-time rated companies averaged 51.5, while companies with 10+ years in the network averaged 63.2.
EcoVadis vs. CDP: Which Is Right for Your Business
Embed this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ngw_FtJAihY&pp=ygUPRWNvdmFkaXMgdnMgY2Rw0gcJCSwMAYcqIYzv
EcoVadis and CDP are two of the most recognized sustainability assessment platforms, each with its own focus. EcoVadis offers a comprehensive evaluation across a broad range of sustainability criteria, making it ideal for businesses that want to manage supply chain risks and improve overall sustainability performance.
In contrast, CDP focuses on climate-related and environmental factors, providing detailed insights for organizations that prioritize public disclosure and targeted climate action.
Ultimately, your choice will likely depend on what your biggest customer is asking you to report on.
Actionable Tips to Improve Your EcoVadis Sustainability Rating
If your company received an EcoVadis medal below your goal or no medal at all (outside the top 35%), you have 12 months to take measures to improve your rating before your scorecard expires. Follow these six steps to improve your score:
1. Conduct a Gap Analysis
Before making changes, you need to know where you currently stand. Evaluate your existing EcoVadis scorecard and its corrective action plan across the four main themes: Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement. If you have not yet obtained your EcoVadis rating, you can conduct a materiality assessment. Use this information to identify your weak areas.
2. Create an Action Plan
Develop a comprehensive action plan based on the results of your gap analysis or materiality assessment. Prioritize actions that will yield the most significant impact on your score, assign tasks to specific teams or individuals, and set achievable deadlines.
3. Use a Software Partner for Data Preparation
Use a specialized sustainability software partner to collect, prepare, and manage your sustainability data. These platforms can automate KPI tracking, streamline data collection, and generate reports you can submit as evidence for your EcoVadis evaluation. This makes the process more efficient and helps ensure accuracy.
4. Compile Supporting Documentation
EcoVadis places a significant emphasis on proper documentation. Gather all the necessary documents that support your sustainability and CSR efforts, including policies, evidence of initiatives, and compliance records.
5. Monitor & Measure Progress
Regularly assess your performance through benchmarking and internal audits to ensure that you are on track to meet your goals. Modify your action plan as needed based on these evaluations.
6. Resubmit your EcoVadis Questionnaire
After you receive your score, you have one year to improve your sustainability processes, strategies, and goals before you go through the process again and get your new score. Because medal cutoffs rise every year, standing still usually means slipping out of your medal range.
Good.Lab: Your Strategic Partner on the Road to an Improved EcoVadis Score
Good.Lab is both an approved EcoVadis training partner with EcoVadis-approved consultants and has conducted our own EcoVadis report, receiving a bronze medal in our first year.
We understand what it takes to achieve a high EcoVadis rating, how to collect the necessary data, and how to use that to make data-driven strategies to improve your ESG performance. With our software and EcoVadis expertise, we can help you through the whole process.
The results speak for themselves. Brock Group improved its scorecard by 23 points in a single cycle, and RDI-USA moved from 44 to 60. Across our clients, the average EcoVadis score increase is 25%.
Talk to an expert about how to ensure your score meets this year's medal cutoffs.
EcoVadis FAQ
What is EcoVadis?
EcoVadis is the world's largest provider of corporate sustainability ratings, offering a comprehensive view of a company's ESG performance. Founded in 2007, the company has rated 175,000 companies in more than 180 countries. The EcoVadis assessment evaluates companies across 21 sustainability criteria grouped into four key themes: Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement.
How does the EcoVadis assessment process work?
The EcoVadis assessment process has four main steps: registration, completing a customized questionnaire, expert analysis, and receiving results. Completing the questionnaire takes anywhere from a few days to several weeks depending on your documentation. After that, EcoVadis analysts spend 6-8 weeks reviewing your submission before releasing your scorecard.
What does an EcoVadis rating mean?
An EcoVadis rating verifies your company's sustainability management. A good score can differentiate your business and make it more appealing to investors and customers. Medals are awarded by percentile: Bronze (top 35%), Silver (top 15%), Gold (top 5%), and Platinum (top 1%). Companies outside the top 35% do not get a medal.
Is EcoVadis a certification?
No. EcoVadis states that its medals and badges are not certifications or product labels. They recognize a company's sustainability management performance relative to other rated companies, and they are valid for 12 months, in line with the scorecard.
What is the difference between EcoVadis and CDP?
EcoVadis covers a broad range of ESG issues and provides customized questionnaires based on a company's industry, size, and location. CDP focuses mainly on climate change, water, and forests. EcoVadis targets business-to-business relationships, while CDP targets stakeholders like investors and the general public.
How can I improve my EcoVadis rating?
To improve your EcoVadis rating, conduct a gap analysis to identify weak areas, develop a comprehensive action plan, use specialized ESG software to prepare data, compile supporting documentation, monitor progress, and reassess within 12 months.
If your company received an EcoVadis medal below your goal or the dreaded no medal (score below 50%), you have 12 months to take measures to improve your rating.
