Sustainability

EcoVadis
Frequently asked questions

When you are new to EcoVadis, it can feel challenging to make heads or tails of. We have gathered some of the most frequently asked questions about EcoVadis to help you feel more informed about what an EcoVadis assessment is, what the process requires, and what the output and benefits are.


faq

FAQ about EcoVadis in general

What is an EcoVadis assessment?

An EcoVadis assessment is a structured, third-party review of your company’s sustainability management system across the following four themes 1) Environment, 2) Labor & Human Rights, 3) Ethics, and 4) Sustainable Procurement. Your company pays to get access to a platform where you fill in a questionnaire that is tailored to your company based on your industry, size, and location. EcoVadis analyses your answers and supporting documents and then provides you with a detailed scorecard, and potentially a medal.

Is EcoVadis a certification?

EcoVadis is not a certification. EcoVadis is a global leader in sustainability ratings. This means you can be assessed by EcoVadis and obtain an EcoVadis scorecard which benchmarks your company’s sustainability management system against all other rated companies. Medals awarded by EcoVadis are based on your score and percentile ranking – they are not a sustainability certification. Your EcoVadis scorecard is effective for benchmarking, client communication, and driving sustainability improvements.

Is it worth it to go through an EcoVadis assessment?

Whether an EcoVadis assessment is worth it depends on your company’s context. Many companies consider an EcoVadis assessment to be worth the effort because of the many strategic and practical benefits it offers.

Firstly, EcoVadis is globally trusted and recognised with over 150000 rated companies worldwide. An EcoVadis rating can boost credibility and trust with your clients, investors and other stakeholders.

Secondly, the EcoVadis questionnaire aligns with major international standards and regulation. That means your efforts to improve to your EcoVadis rating therefore directly benefits your wider sustainability efforts.

Thirdly, EcoVadis can enable internal sustainability momentum. Filling out the questionnaire requires collaboration with multiple business units. If done well, this collaboration can broaden motivation and know how about sustainability in the organisation and drive improvement.

FAQ about the EcoVadis assessment process

What are the steps of an EcoVadis assessment?

  1. Registering online
    The first step of an EcoVadis is registering online via the EcoVadis platform. Here you create a company profile which allows EcoVadis to tailor your EcoVadis questionnaire to your company’s industry, size, and location.
  2. Answering the questionnaire
    Once you receive your tailored questionnaire, you can begin answering it. You have 6 weeks to complete the questionnaire, with possibility of extension of the deadline.If this is your first assessment or if you are looking to improve your score, our recommendation is to pause before your open the questionnaire and start answering. Allow time for strategic discussions on improvement areas, delegation, internal upskilling, execution of improvements and retrieving documentation.Once this is in place, you can begin filling out the questionnaire and submit it.
  3. Undergoing expert analysis
    Once you have submitted your questionnaire, EcoVadis experts thoroughly analyse your answers and supporting documents. This takes 6-8 weeks.
  4. Receiving your results
    You can now access the results of your EcoVadis assessment. You will receive a scorecard which you can share with key stakeholders. Depending on your score, you might receive a medal – you can find more information about medals below.The EcoVadis platform also gives you access to different tools and resources to improve your performance ahead of your next assessment. Assessments are valid for 1 year.

How long does an EcoVadis assessment take?

The amount of time it takes to complete an EcoVadis questionnaire varies. It depends on your company’s sustainability maturity and your level of ambition related to improvements. As a standard, you have as a standard 6 weeks to complete the questionnaire once you have opened it. Upon submission, EcoVadis takes 6-8 weeks to analyse your answers and supporting documents after which you receive your scorecard (it is possible to buy a fast-track process from EcoVadis)

Mannaz can help you develop a roadmap for your entire assessment process. From our experience, it is valuable to allow adequate time for internal collaboration, upskilling and important improvements in your timeline to achieve the score you aim for.

What kind of documentation do I need to prepare? (And when?)

The EcoVadis questionnaire is divided into five sections (General, Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, Sustainable Procurement). Within each of these sections there will be questions that assess your company’s policies, actions, and results.

You are expected to provide supporting documents for your answers. For example, under the section “Environment”, you might be asked about what actions your company has taken to manage waste. If one of the actions you are taking is to train your employees on waste reduction and sorting, the documentation you need to support this answer could be the training materials and evidence of the execution of the training.

There are specific requirements for different types of documentation.

There is a limit of 55 documents per EcoVadis assessment.

It is important to note, that EcoVadis no longer requires documents to be issued 1 month prior to document upload.

FAQ about the output and benefits of an EcoVadis assessment

What is an EcoVadis medal and how can my company receive one?

ecovadis medaljer

After you have submitted your questionnaire, your company receives an EcoVadis score (0-100). Depending on your score, your company might be eligible for a medal.

The eligibility criteria for scorecards are currently:

  • Platinum - Top 1% (99+ percentile)
  • Gold - Top 5% (95+ percentile)
  • Silver - Top 15% (85+ percentile)
  • Bronze - Top 35% (65+ percentile)

The percentile rank is calculated at the time of the scorecard publication. It compares your performance with all rated companies over the previous 12 months. This means that medal eligibility is dynamic – a score that secured a medal one year might not secure a medal the next year, if the companies you are compared with have improved.

An EcoVadis medal is an effective way to publicly communicate your EcoVadis score. With its easily recognisable graphic, your medal provides your customers and other stakeholders an immediate insight into your performance. This increased visibility of how well your company manages sustainability can increase market competitiveness and attractiveness.

Mannaz is an Accredited EcoVadis Core Consulting Partner

Is your organisation preparing for an EcoVadis assessment or reassessment?
As an Accredited EcoVadis Core Consulting Partner, Mannaz can support your organisation in navigating the EcoVadis process.

Reach out to Berit or Anne to get in contact with our team of accredited EcoVadis consultants.

Berit Kristine Bøggild
Client Director

bkb@mannaz.com
+45 2295 0151

Read more
Anne Mikkelsen
Consultant

ami@mannaz.com
+45 2214 0782

Read more
Inspiration
Sustainability New Sustainability Skills Enable University Graduates to Assist with Companies’ Green Transition

Through a targeted upskilling programme for university graduates with a master’s degree, Mannaz has equipped participants with new sustainability competencies. They have applied these new skills on sustainability cases in companies during an internship, creating direct value. As a result, the programme has delivered benefits for both the participants and the internship companies.

Sustainability EcoVadis – Towards the medal: Improving your EcoVadis score

Your company has been through an EcoVadis assessment. And now you are ready to improve. Whether you missed a medal or want to climb from one medal to another, this article unfolds four areas that can guide your progress.

Sustainability EcoVadis assessment
– What to be aware of

Are you leading or contributing to your company’s EcoVadis assessment for the first time? In this article we help you get to grips with some of the most important concepts and steps related to an EcoVadis assessment process so you can approach your role as lead or contributor with confidence and help drive sustainability in your company.

Show more news and articles

Did you find the article interesting?

Gain more insight by signing up our newsletter.

The potential is people