EcoVadis vs ISO 14001 and CO2 Performance Ladder

EcoVadis is a sustainability assessment (rating) carried out remotely (read why it is not a certificate). ISO 14001 and the CO2 Performance Ladder are certificates that follow an on-site audit. EcoVadis gives you a score on environment, labour, ethics and procurement. ISO 14001 proves that you have an environmental management system. The CO2 Performance Ladder proves that you measure and reduce your CO2 emissions, and it gives an advantage in Dutch public tenders. They do not exclude each other: a valid certificate earns points in the EcoVadis methodology .

So the question is not which one is better, but who is asking. An international client often asks for EcoVadis. A Dutch contracting authority is more likely to ask for the ladder. The difference between the ladder and ISO 14001 is explained separately on CO2 Performance Ladder vs ISO 14001.

EcoVadis, ISO 14001 and CO2 Performance Ladder compared

The table places the three side by side. Pay particular attention to the first two rows: a rating works differently from a certificate.

	EcoVadis	ISO 14001	CO2 Performance Ladder
Type	Assessment (rating)	Certificate	Certificate
Who assesses?	EcoVadis analyst, remotely	Accredited certifying body, on site	Accredited certifying body, on site
Subject	Environment, labour and human rights, ethics, sustainable procurement	All environmental aspects	Energy and CO2 emissions
Outcome	Score 0-100 and possibly a medal	Certificate granted or not	Certificate at a level or step
Validity	12 months	3 years, with an annual surveillance audit	3 years, with an annual surveillance audit
Who asks for it?	Mainly large, international clients	Clients and tenders, recognised worldwide	Dutch contracting authorities
Reward	A place in the client’s supplier assessment	Access to clients and tenders	A notional award advantage
Administered by	EcoVadis (commercial company)	ISO, in the Netherlands via NEN (Netherlands Standardisation Institute)	SKAO (Foundation for Climate-Friendly Procurement and Business)
Costs	Annual subscription, see EcoVadis costs	Audits, see costs of ISO 14001	Audits plus annual SKAO fee, see costs of the ladder
Comparison with others	Yes, through percentiles	No	No, but there are levels

The biggest difference: with a certificate, a standard determines whether you comply. With EcoVadis, your position relative to other companies determines whether you receive a medal. A certificate remains in place for three years, whereas an EcoVadis score has to be earned again every year.

When do you choose EcoVadis, ISO 14001 or the CO2 Performance Ladder?

Look at who your clients are and what they ask for. This table helps with the first choice.

Situation	Advice
An international client invites you to EcoVadis	EcoVadis, and upload any certificates you already hold
You bid on tenders from Rijkswaterstaat (Dutch national water and roads agency), ProRail (Dutch rail infrastructure manager) or municipalities	CO2 Performance Ladder, possibly also the PSO Performance Ladder
Clients ask for an environmental management system or an ISO certificate	ISO 14001
You have both international clients and Dutch tenders	The ladder or ISO 14001 as a base, with EcoVadis on top
Nobody is asking for it yet, but you want to prepare	Start with a CO2 footprint and an environmental policy. You need these for all three

How long do EcoVadis, ISO 14001 or the CO2 Performance Ladder take?

The lead times differ considerably. An EcoVadis assessment is quicker to complete, but has to be repeated every year. A certificate needs more preparation, but remains in place for three years.

	Lead time the first time	After that
EcoVadis	Preparation plus 6 to 8 weeks of analysis by EcoVadis (indicative)	A reassessment every year
ISO 14001	3 to 9 months, depending on your size (see costs and timeline ISO 14001)	Annual surveillance audit
CO2 Performance Ladder	3 to 6 months for the basic level	Annual surveillance audit

If you are in a hurry because a client asks for a score, EcoVadis is often the fastest to arrange. If you want to keep demonstrating over three years that your affairs are in order, without starting again every year, a certificate is more stable.

How do EcoVadis, ISO 14001 and the ladder strengthen each other?

You use much of your evidence more than once. EcoVadis awards points for valid certificates from an independent, accredited body. An ISO 14001 certificate therefore counts towards the environment theme.

Document or certificate	Use for ISO 14001	Use for the ladder	Use for EcoVadis
Environmental policy with targets	Required (environmental policy)	Basis for reduction targets	Evidence of policy
CO2 footprint scope 1 and 2	Supporting	Required	Evidence for energy and CO2 reporting
Energy measures	Supporting	Required (list of measures)	Evidence for measures
ISO 14001 certificate	The result	No exemption	Counts as a certificate
Ladder certificate and publications	Not needed	The result	Usable as evidence for measures and reporting

It does not work the other way round. An EcoVadis medal gives no exemption from an ISO audit and no award advantage in tenders. It is an assessment, not a certificate.

What suits a small company best?

For small companies, EcoVadis is the lightest option. Companies with up to 25 employees are assessed with a simpler formula and receive a bonus on their score. A Basic subscription costs them €449 a year.

A certificate requires more: a management system, internal audits and an external audit on site. Against that, a certificate really helps in tenders and with clients who ask for one. For a small company that mainly works for the government, the ladder is therefore often the better first step. Also read the CO2 Performance Ladder for SMEs.

Example: an installer with three questions at once

An installation company with 90 employees receives three questions within one year. A German industrial client wants an EcoVadis scorecard. A province asks for the CO2 Performance Ladder in a tender. And a housing association asks for ISO 14001.

The company chooses the ladder first, because it directly earns money in tenders. During that process it produces a CO2 footprint, an environmental policy and a list of measures. It uploads those documents to EcoVadis a few months later. ISO 14001 follows the year after, using the ladder documents as a basis.

The result: one set of documents, three applications. Only the labour, ethics and procurement parts had to be arranged separately for EcoVadis.

Common mistakes when choosing between EcoVadis and certificates

Presenting EcoVadis as a certificate. Write “EcoVadis silver”, not “EcoVadis-certified”.

Obtaining a certificate only for EcoVadis. A certificate only counts in the indicator for measures and certificates within the theme where it belongs. The investment has to pay for itself through clients or tenders.

Thinking ISO 14001 replaces the ladder. Contracting authorities specifically ask for the ladder. Read CO2 Performance Ladder vs ISO 14001.

Forgetting labour and ethics. ISO 14001 and the ladder cover environment. EcoVadis also looks at personnel, integrity and procurement. You need different evidence for those, see questionnaire and documents.