How Does EcoVadis Work?

EcoVadis is a global platform that evaluates corporate sustainability performance.

It measures the quality of a company’s sustainability management system through a standardized questionnaire and documented evidence.

The goal is simple: deliver a score that’s reliable, comparable, and globally recognized — used by more than 130,000 companies across 180 countries.

A methodology built on four pillars

EcoVadis assesses companies across four universal sustainability themes:

1. Environment
2. Labor & Human Rights
3. Ethics
4. Sustainable Procurement

Each theme is broken down into 21 criteria, aligned with major international standards such as ISO 26000, GRI, and the UN Global Compact.

The weighting of each criterion depends on the company’s industry, size, and geographic location.

How the assessment process works

The EcoVadis assessment follows four main steps, from onboarding to scoring.

1. Registration & company profile

You create an account on the EcoVadis platform or respond to an invitation from one of your clients.

You complete your company profile: industry, workforce size, locations, legal structure…

These details allow EcoVadis to tailor the questionnaire to your context.

2. CSR questionnaire & document submission

You complete an online questionnaire. Its content varies depending on your profile.

Every answer must be supported by valid documentation (policies, action plans, KPIs, certifications, etc.).

A maximum of 55 documents can be uploaded per assessment.

Tip: Make sure your documents are dated, relevant, and cover your full operational scope (sites, subsidiaries, activities).

3. Review by EcoVadis analysts

Specialized analysts evaluate your policies, actions, and results based on seven management indicators:

• Policies (POLI)
• Endorsements (ENDO)
• Actions (MESU)
• Certifications (CERT)
• Coverage (COVE)
• Reporting (REPO)
• 360° Watch (external checks)

The 360° Watch system automatically scans public sources for positive or negative information about your company (awards, incidents, sanctions…).

4. Score & medal award

Once the review is complete, EcoVadis assigns a score out of 100, along with a detailed scorecard.

Depending on your overall performance, you may receive a medal:

Who is EcoVadis for?

EcoVadis is used by all types of organizations:

• SMBs and mid-sized companies looking to structure their CSR practices
• Large corporations wishing to assess subsidiaries or partners
• Suppliers responding to customer sustainability requirements
• Buyers and investors integrating sustainability into procurement or risk evaluation

Many companies now require an EcoVadis score to select or retain their suppliers.

The benefits of an EcoVadis assessment

EcoVadis isn’t just a scoring system — it’s a continuous improvement tool that helps companies:

• Identify strengths and improvement areas
• Structure a credible and long-term CSR action plan
• Increase transparency and trust with customers and investors
• Access sector benchmarks to compare performance
• Boost commercial visibility thanks to global recognition

EcoVadis in a nutshell — What to remember