In a context in which companies are increasingly seeking to structure their CSR approaches, labels, certifications and assessment systems such as EcoVadis provide a valuable framework for communicating transparently on their CSR performance.

EcoVadis is considered to be one of the most reliable CSR assessment standards, used by more than 100,000 companies across 175 countries.

Its scoring and medal awarding system provides businesses with tangible recognition for their efforts on environmental, social and Human Rights issues, ethical and related to responsible purchasing.

These medals not only recognize past achievements, but also recognize future commitments made by businesses.

In this article, we'll dive into the EcoVadis assessment system, for understand how medals are awarded.

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Understanding EcoVadis and its scoring system

EcoVadis plays an essential role in evaluating and scoring the CSR performance of companies around the world from 0 to 100.

Its scoring methodology is based on the analysis of 4 major themes and 21 associated sub-themes:

• the environment,
• Social and Human Rights
• ethical practices,
• responsible purchasing.

Through a questionnaire, EcoVadis assesses these 21 sub-themes including The importance varies according to the size, activity and sector of the business.

In addition to this questionnaire, EcoVadis will also take into account their “360° watch”.

EcoVadis' “360° Watch” is carried out by artificial intelligence that analyzes the CSR performance of a company by taking into account the positive and negative contributions coming from various public sources.

The sources analyzed can be international media, government sites, NGO sites, think tanks, and professional networks, depending on the relevance determined by the experts.

Using this data, EcoVadis assesses the impact of situations, such as fines or public convictions, on the score of each evaluated theme, according to their severity.

All of these steps allow companies to have a detailed analysis of their CSR performance and to thus be able to identify strengths and weaknesses in order to aim for continuous improvement.

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Understand how EcoVadis medals are awarded

EcoVadis medals, ranging from Bronze to Platinum, represent different levels of CSR performance and since 2024 they have been complemented by badges. Each medal is awarded based on the results of the EcoVadis evaluation, which takes into account the specific criteria of each activated sub-theme and 360° monitoring.

To get an EcoVadis medal, you must a minimum of 30 points in each of the 4 themes.

And, a company cannot get a medal if it gets a score of 0 for at least one theme or 25 or less for at least two themes in the “360° Watch” indicator.

Attention, you should know that the attribution of The medal is based on your score compared to those of all other companies around the world, evaluated over the last 12 months.

That's what EcoVadis calls the percentile.

It is important to have this information in mind to fully understand that if you have the same score two years in a row, you may still lose your EcoVadis medal.

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The different levels of EcoVadis medals

EcoVadis medals, ranging from Bronze to Platinum, represent different levels of CSR performance always compared to the other companies evaluated.

Obtaining an EcoVadis medal is a great achievement, but should not be an end in itself.

EcoVadis Platinum Medal (Platinum), top 1% (percentile of 99 or higher)

The EcoVadis Platinum medal is the highest, it is reserved for the few companies that manage to stand out. They are distinguished not only by solid CSR policies, but also by concrete actions that support their commitments on all the themes evaluated by EcoVadis.

Our company, Ditto, obtained the EcoVadis Platinum medal in 2023. This medal is a reflection of all the procedures put in place in our company to make sustainability one of our priorities.

PS: as mentioned above, the themes and sub-themes are defined according to the company being evaluated. For Ditto, we are not evaluated on the topic of Responsible Purchasing.

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EcoVadis Gold Medal (Gold), top 5% (percentile of 95 or higher)

The EcoVadis Gold medal is awarded to companies that have excelled in most of the areas assessed. They still have a long way to go before earning the EcoVadis Platinum medal.

We are delighted to have been able to support companies such as Sammode in structuring theirs sustainability management system and prepare for their first EcoVadis assessment.

By working hand in hand with the Sammode teams and our EcoVadis Ditto experts, after 3 and a half months of effort, Sammode managed to win the Gold medal with a score of 74/100.

We are very proud to have been able to participate in their success!

If you want to be guided by our teams in preparing your EcoVadis assessment, do not hesitate to contact us.

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EcoVadis Silver Medal (Silver), top 15% (percentile of 85 or higher)

The EcoVadis Silver medal is awarded to companies that have started to structure their CSR approach and have shown a desire to improve on the 4 key themes.

Charvet Digital Media, one of the companies supported by Ditto, succeeded in get an EcoVadis Silver medal with a score of 77/100. Congratulations for their performance!

More than a medal, Charvet Digital Media is proud to see its CSR commitments valued and affirms, through EcoVadis, their desire to contribute positively to a more sustainable future.

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EcoVadis Bronze medal, top 35% (percentile of 65 or more)

By getting The EcoVadis Bronze medal, companies are showing their desire to engage in more sustainable practices and responsible with a great deal of room for development.

At Ditto, all the companies we have supported have managed to obtain a Silver medal or more.

EcoVadis medals allow companies to position themselves in relation to others and to be able to identify concrete ways to improve their CSR commitments.

The most interesting thing is not the medal itself, but all the policies and actions deployed by companies to have a positive impact on its environment.

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EcoVadis badges

EcoVadis badges are awarded to businesses based on specific score criteria.

There are two EcoVadis badges:

• The “Committed” badge, it is awarded to companies reaching A minimum score of 45, who were able to develop an “adapted” performance according to the EcoVadis methodology.

• The “Fast Mover” badge, awarded to companies with a score between 34 and 44, with A progression of at least 6 points compared to the previous evaluation over a period of 18 months.

Note that companies that have obtained an EcoVadis medal are not eligible for an EcoVadis badge.

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5. Have an EcoVadis evaluation without a medal

It is important to note that not getting an EcoVadis medal should not be seen as a failure. The main objective of the EcoVadis assessment is toTo identify opportunities for improvement and to guide businesses on the path to sustainability.

The important thing is to put in place concrete actions and engage in a process of continuous improvement.

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Conclusion

EcoVadis plays a central role in evaluating the CSR performance of companies around the world.

Based on a rigorous methodology, via its questionnaire and its 360° monitoring, EcoVadis provides a framework for companies to formalize their CSR approaches.

This framework allows businesses to compare each other based on harmonized scores and medals, from the EcoVadis Bronze medal to Platinum.

Obtaining an EcoVadis medal should not be considered an end in itself., but rather as a reflection of the CSR commitments made by the company in the short, medium and long term.

Ditto can help you structure your CSR approach and thus successfully complete your EcoVadis assessment. For more information, contact us.