If your business has already received an EcoVadis rating, the next question is usually straightforward: how do you improve it?.
With increasing pressure from clients, investors, and supply chains, achieving a higher EcoVadis medal (Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum) is no longer just reputational, it can directly influence commercial opportunities.
However, improving your score is not about superficial changes or isolated initiatives. EcoVadis assessments are evidence-driven and structured, meaning that improvements must be systematic, documented, and aligned to their methodology.
Below are five proven, practical ways to improve your EcoVadis rating, based on how the platform actually evaluates submissions.
1. Strengthen Policies with Clear Scope, Ownership, and Review Cycles
EcoVadis places significant weight on the quality and maturity of policies across its four themes: Environment, Labour & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement.
To score highly, policies must go beyond generic statements. They should:
- Be formally documented and approved
- Clearly define scope (e.g. global operations, supply chain, specific sites)
- Assign ownership or accountability (e.g. named function or role)
- Include a review or update cycle.
What works in practice:
- Converting informal practices into formal policies
- Aligning policies to recognised frameworks or standards e.g. ISO14001
- Ensuring consistency across all submitted documents.
Why it matters:
EcoVadis scores policy quality based on completeness and credibility. Vague or generic policies typically limit scoring potential, even if good practices exist operationally.
2. Provide Evidence of Implementation, Not Just Intent
A common reason for lower scores is the gap between stated commitments and demonstrated action.
EcoVadis distinguishes clearly between:
- Policies (what you say you will do)
- Measures (what you are actually doing)
- Results (what impact you are achieving).
To improve your score, you must provide documented evidence of implementation, such as:
- Training records (e.g. ethics or environmental training completion rates)
- Operational procedures (e.g. waste management processes)
- Certifications (e.g. ISO standards)
- Internal communications or rollout materials.
What works in practice:
- Submitting evidence that directly corresponds to each policy
- Demonstrating organisation-wide rollout, not isolated initiatives
- Ensuring documents are recent and relevant (typically within the last 12–24 months)
Why it matters:
EcoVadis scoring frameworks reward demonstrated maturity, not intention. Without evidence, policies alone will not achieve higher medal levels.
3. Develop KPIs and Track Measurable Performance
To reach Silver, Gold, or Platinum levels, organisations must show that they are measuring and managing performance.
This means establishing quantitative KPIs across relevant areas, for example:
- Carbon emissions (Scope 1, 2, and where possible 3)
- Energy consumption
- Gender diversity metrics
- Health & safety incident rates
- Supplier sustainability screening rates.
Crucially, EcoVadis expects to see:
- Data tracking over time
- Evidence of review and management action
- Links between performance and decision-making.
What works in practice:
- Producing annual sustainability or ESG reports
- Creating internal dashboards or performance summaries
- Setting targets and showing progress against them.
Why it matters:
Higher scores are awarded where organisations can demonstrate continuous improvement and data-driven management, not just activity.
4. Expand Coverage to the Supply Chain
Sustainable procurement is often one of the lowest scoring areas, but also one of the biggest opportunities for improvement.
EcoVadis assesses whether organisations are actively managing environmental and social risks within their supply chain.
To improve scores in this area, organisations should:
- Introduce a Supplier Code of Conduct
- Conduct risk-based supplier assessments
- Include sustainability criteria in supplier selection and evaluation
- Monitor and follow up on supplier performance.
What works in practice:
- Segmenting suppliers by risk (e.g. geography, category)
- Using questionnaires or third-party assessments
- Embedding sustainability into procurement processes.
Why it matters:
EcoVadis places increasing emphasis on value chain responsibility. Organisations that demonstrate structured supplier engagement are more likely to achieve higher medal thresholds.
5. Improve Document Quality and Submission Strategy
Even where strong practices exist, scores can be limited by how evidence is presented.
EcoVadis assessments rely entirely on submitted documentation, meaning that:
- Poorly labelled or unclear documents may not be fully credited
- Irrelevant or excessive information can dilute key messages
- Missing context can reduce scoring potential.
To maximise scores:
- Ensure each document is clearly titled and relevant
- Map documents directly to specific questionnaire questions
- Avoid duplication while ensuring complete coverage
- Provide context where needed (e.g. summaries or explanations within documents).
What works in practice:
- Creating a structured submission plan before completing the questionnaire
- Conducting a gap analysis against EcoVadis themes
- Reviewing submissions from an assessor’s perspective.
Why it matters:
EcoVadis is an evidence-based assessment. Strong performance must be clearly demonstrated and easy to evaluate to achieve maximum scoring.
Final Thoughts
Improving your EcoVadis rating is not about quick fixes, it requires a structured, evidence-led approach aligned to how the methodology works.
The organisations that achieve higher medal levels typically demonstrate:
- Clear, well-governed policies
- Documented implementation across the business
- Measurable performance and continuous improvement
- Active management of supply chain risks
- High-quality, targeted submissions.
