All the technical details you need to know to progress and boost your EcoVadis score.
Earning an EcoVadis medal gets tougher every year, with evaluation criteria constantly tightening for companies striving for CSR excellence. The EcoVadis score, a true benchmark for sustainable performance, is now an essential indicator for organizations looking to showcase their commitment to responsibility.
In fact, fewer than 35% of assessed companies manage to secure this prestigious distinction. This is why EcoVadis support is becoming vital for organizations aiming for excellence; a specialized EcoVadis agency can be the difference between a bronze and a Platinum medal.
In this article, you will discover the specific requirements for each evaluation pillar, the impact of 360° monitoring on your rating, and practical tips for building an impeccable file. Whether you are a beginner or already well into your EcoVadis journey, this information will help you significantly boost your chances of winning a medal.
To understand how the EcoVadis score is built, you need to explore its fundamental structure.
The EcoVadis analysis is based on four fundamental themes that form the backbone of any effective CSR strategy:
EcoVadis has defined 21 sustainability criteria based on international sustainable development standards. These criteria include, for example, energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, accident prevention, social dialogue, anti-corruption, and supplier practices.
It is important to note that not all criteria are necessarily assessed for every company. The selection of relevant criteria depends on three key factors:
- The company's industry
- Its size
- Its geographic location
This tailored approach allows for a more precise and relevant assessment based on the specific challenges facing each organization.
The EcoVadis methodology is based on three management pillars that structure the comprehensive assessment of a company's sustainability management system:
- Policies (25% of the score): Assessment of formal commitments, coverage, and management approval
- Actions (40% of the score): Analysis of concrete measures implemented and certifications obtained
- Results (35% of the score): Review of performance indicators and reports
These three pillars are then broken down into seven management indicators that allow for a detailed analysis:
Furthermore, the assessment relies on a diverse range of sources, in line with EcoVadis' principle of source diversification. The rating considers not only documents provided by the company but also positions published by NGOs, trade unions, international organizations, local authorities, and other third-party organizations such as auditors.
This rigorous methodology produces an overall score out of 100, reflecting the quality of the company's sustainability management system at the time of the assessment. This final score is a weighted average that accounts for the company's size, sector, and location across the four main themes.
Once your file has been analyzed and assessed, EcoVadis assigns you an overall score between 0 and 100, which allows you to earn a medal (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, etc.) based on how you rank compared to other companies. This ranking is determined by percentile, representing your relative position among all assessed companies.
This means that even if your score remains the same, your medal could change from one year to the next if the performance of other companies improves. Continuous improvement is therefore essential.
Example: If you earn an overall score between 86 and 100, you might earn a Platinum medal this year, but next year, you may need a score between 89 and 100 to keep that distinction. If you don't make any changes and undergo the assessment again, you could end up with a Silver medal.
Additionally, it is important to note that this score is not a simple average, but a weighted average of the four fundamental pillars of the assessment. This weighting varies depending on the company's industry, size, and geographic location. Consequently, two organizations with the same overall score may have very different performance levels across each individual pillar.
Depending on the score achieved in the assessment, a company may be awarded a medal based on its performance (2025 data):
🏆 Platinum : Top 1% (99th percentile or higher)
🥇 Gold : Top 5% (95th percentile or higher)
🥈 Silver : Top 15% (85th percentile or higher)
🥉 Bronze : Top 35% (65th percentile or higher)
Achieving an excellent overall score is not enough. One of the conditions for earning an EcoVadis medal involves meeting minimum performance requirements for each assessment pillar.
A company is not eligible for any medal if it scores less than 30/100 in any of the four themes (Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, Sustainable Procurement)
EcoVadis has implemented certain automatic exclusion criteria to maintain the credibility of the medal system. First, companies involved in serious or repeated controversies identified in the 360° Watch cannot qualify for a Gold medal, regardless of the quality of their CSR management system.
Second, certain particularly sensitive industries are subject to increased monitoring and specific criteria. For example, companies operating in the following areas must demonstrate exceptional performance on specific points:
- Mining industry: enhanced requirements regarding biodiversity and relations with local communities
- Textile industry: special attention to working conditions in the supply chain
- Chemicals: strict criteria for managing hazardous substances
Finally, large companies (over 1,000 employees) face additional requirements regarding transparency and non-financial reporting. For these organizations, failing to regularly publish verifiable CSR information is a major barrier to achieving a gold medal.
Ultimately, earning an EcoVadis medal in 2025 will require a mature, balanced, and transparent CSR approach, backed by solid evidence and an absence of significant controversies.
The 360° Watch is a decisive element in the EcoVadis medal allocation process, yet it is often underestimated by candidate companies. This aspect of the assessment can drop a score from gold to silver, or even completely disqualify an organization despite excellent performance in other areas.
360° Watch is a comprehensive monitoring tool that EcoVadis uses to collect and analyze public information regarding the CSR practices of assessed companies. This method examines external publications from various sources, such as:
- Press articles and specialized media
- NGO and association reports
- Judicial and administrative decisions
- Union communications
- Whistleblower platforms
This continuous monitoring allows EcoVadis to identify information that the company might not have necessarily disclosed during its assessment. Consequently, it ensures a more objective and complete view of the organization's actual practices.
Identifying negative findings in the 360° Watch can drastically affect a company's EcoVadis score. These findings are classified into three levels of severity:
For companies aiming for gold, a single moderate finding on a pillar can be enough to drop the score below the required threshold. Furthermore, any severe finding automatically disqualifies the company from the medal process, even with an otherwise excellent theoretical score.
The various 360° Watch results and corresponding indicator scores are shown in the table below:
360° Watch indicator score
Meticulous preparation of your assessment file is the cornerstone of maximizing your EcoVadis score. This step requires organization and rigor, as the quality of the evidence provided will directly determine your final grade.
Prioritize quality over quantity. It is better to submit ten clear, relevant, and well-structured documents than fifty disorganized ones. Every document must be dated and include your organization's logo.
For internal policies, use official company-branded templates. When providing evidence of your actions, choose concrete, recent examples (less than 18 months old) that are easy to measure. For results, always present the trend over three consecutive years.
We also recommend creating a CSR report that consolidates all key information about your initiatives. This type of document allows you to meet multiple requirements using a single, unified resource.
The most common mistake is submitting generic documents that aren't tailored to your company's specific context. Likewise, policies without proof of concrete implementation are consistently downgraded by EcoVadis analysts.
Also, watch out for inconsistencies between different parts of your file. For example, an ambitious environmental policy must be backed up by quantified targets and corresponding results.
Finally, don't underestimate the preparation time: you need at least three months to put together a complete file capable of achieving the EcoVadis score required for a gold medal.
Working with an agency, you can submit a file in as little as one month. You significantly increase your chances of winning a gold medal because agencies, like Altopi for example, have a perfect understanding of EcoVadis evaluation criteria and will help you formalize your documents to meet their specific scoring standards.
Achieving an excellent EcoVadis score is certainly an internal accomplishment, but it is also a powerful strategic lever that should be used wisely with all your stakeholders.
EcoVadis provides medal-winning companies with a comprehensive communication kit, including:
- The official gold medal logo to use on digital assets
- Customizable press release templates
- Visuals adapted for various platforms (website, social media, email signatures)
- An authenticated digital certificate
Furthermore, companies can display their medal directly on their EcoVadis profile, where it is visible to buyers and partners with access to the platform. This instant sharing significantly boosts the visibility of your CSR efforts to existing clients.
Note: If you choose the "Basic" subscription, you will not be able to share your results or use the communication kit provided by EcoVadis.
To maximize the impact of this distinction, a structured approach is essential:
First, identify clients who are particularly sensitive to CSR issues. Next, prepare a personalized message explaining how your CSR approach directly benefits your business relationship. Finally, include this recognition in your responses to tenders where environmental and social criteria are evaluated.
As a result, suppliers who have earned a gold medal may be exempt from additional CSR assessments by certain clients, which significantly simplifies business processes and strengthens their competitive position.
The EcoVadis gold medal offers several advantages:
From a commercial standpoint, it opens doors to markets with strict CSR requirements, particularly in the pharmaceutical, automotive, and food industries. Many major international corporations now require a minimum EcoVadis score to join their supplier network.
In terms of reputation, this award positions the company as a sustainability leader in its field. This advantage not only attracts new clients but also boosts appeal for talent and investors who are increasingly focused on non-financial performance.
Ultimately, an EcoVadis medal is an investment that pays off in both brand image and tangible business opportunities.
Earning an EcoVadis medal is certainly a significant challenge, but the resulting benefits more than justify the effort.
The EcoVadis medal isn't just a one-off recognition; it’s the result of a mature and genuine CSR strategy. Beyond the prestige of the medal, it strengthens the organization's overall sustainable performance, creating value for all stakeholders.
Your company's sustainable performance
