Improving your EcoVadis score

You improve your EcoVadis score by turning the improvement points on your scorecard into demonstrable policy, actions and figures, and uploading those at your next assessment. Most points come from actions and certificates (40% of each theme score), followed by what external sources report about you (21%) and policy (20%). You only see a better score after a reassessment. This follows from the EcoVadis methodology .

For how the score is built, read EcoVadis score and medals. For which documents count per theme, see questionnaire and documents. This page shows where your effort delivers the most.

Where are the points in the EcoVadis score?

Each theme score is built from the same indicators. The weight shows where most of the gain lies.

Indicator	Weight	What earns points?
Actions and certificates	40%	Concrete actions and valid certificates from an accredited body
360° Watch	21%	No negative reports in the news, from regulators or from NGOs
Policy	20%	Documented policy with measurable targets
Reporting	14%	Figures on results, preferably checked externally
Endorsements	5%	Public support for initiatives, such as the UN Global Compact

Within “actions and certificates”, actions count for 60% and certificates for 40%. A certificate is therefore useful, but without demonstrable actions it will not get you there. For companies with up to 25 employees, actions weigh even more, because certificates are relatively expensive for them.

Improving your EcoVadis score in five steps

Read your improvement points

Your scorecard lists strengths and areas for improvement per theme. Since 15 April 2026, those improvement points are more specific: they name the missing practice, not just the topic.

Enter them in the platform’s action plan

Each improvement point automatically appears as an action in the corrective action plan (Corrective Action Plan) on the EcoVadis platform. Documents you upload there will be ready for your reassessment. Your score does not change yet.

Prioritise by weight

Start with the theme that carries the most weight for your industry, and with themes below 30. A theme below 30 blocks every medal. For what to do with an improvement point in the platform, see the corrective action plan, and discuss negative reports on 360 Watch.

Make it demonstrable

Write policy with targets, carry out actions and record them. Collect figures that cover your whole company: 80% of the scope, and 95% for energy and CO2.

Plan the reassessment

Your score only changes after a new assessment. If you have a reassessment credit, you can start it yourself when you are ready.

Example improvement plan: from 48 to a medal

A transport company with 120 employees scores 48. The sustainable procurement theme is at 28, which rules out a medal. The company makes this plan for the reassessment in ten months. The effects are estimates, not EcoVadis calculations.

Theme	Improvement point on scorecard	Action	Evidence	Expected effect
Sustainable procurement	No sustainable procurement policy	Set a procurement policy with environmental and social requirements	Signed policy with date	High: theme above 30
Sustainable procurement	Suppliers not assessed	Have the 15 largest suppliers sign the code of conduct	Signed codes, overview	Medium
Environment	No CO2 figures	CO2 footprint for scope 1 and 2 across all sites	Footprint report	High
Environment	No targets	Record a fuel reduction target per km	Environmental policy with target and year	Medium
Labour	No figures on training	Record training hours per employee	Annual overview	Medium
Ethics	No whistleblower scheme	Introduce and communicate a scheme	Scheme plus intranet message	Medium

The plan focuses first on the theme that blocks the medal. The company then tackles environment, because that weighs heavily for transport. For how to draw up a CO2 footprint, see calculating a CO2 footprint.

Small companies receive a bonus for their size in the calculation. A company with 26 to 99 employees therefore does not need as extensive systems as a large company to reach the same score.

Which certificates raise your EcoVadis score?

Certificates count if they are valid and issued by an independent, accredited body. EcoVadis checks them in the databases of certification bodies. A few examples per theme:

Theme	Suitable certificates
Environment	ISO 14001, ISO 50001
Labour and human rights	ISO 45001, SA8000
Ethics	ISO 27001, ISO 37001

Do you have to choose between a certificate and an EcoVadis medal? Then read EcoVadis vs ISO 14001 and CO2 Performance Ladder. Getting a certificate only for EcoVadis is usually not a good investment. If you already have one, always upload it.

How quickly can you improve your EcoVadis score?

That depends on what is missing. A missing policy you can write in a few weeks. Figures for a full year you only have after a year. So plan for each improvement point what you can demonstrate at the next assessment.

A reassessment within a few months only makes sense if you have genuinely new evidence in that time. Otherwise you pay for the same score.

What does a negative report do to your EcoVadis score?

The 360° Watch carries 21% of each theme score. EcoVadis searches for reports in news media, with government bodies, trade unions and NGOs. If the analyst finds nothing negative, you receive a default score that works in your favour.

A negative report does not stay on record forever. Reports on environment, labour, procurement and information management count for five years from the date of the facts. Corruption counts for seven years, and competition for ten years. A poor 360° Watch score can also cost you a medal, even if your overall score is high. Show in your documents which measures you took after an incident.

Common mistakes when improving your EcoVadis score

Writing policy without carrying it out. Policy carries 20%, actions 40%. A fine policy without evidence of actions earns little.

Making documents specially for EcoVadis. Analysts recognise documents that are not used in your day-to-day work. Record what you actually do.

Including only the head office. Figures that cover less than 80% of your company do not count.

Ignoring external reports. A fine or a negative news story lowers your 360° Watch score. Discuss such an incident with your improvement actions in your documents.

Wanting everything at once. Start with the theme below 30 and the theme with the most weight. The rest follows at the next assessment.